Mutual, Never Ending Trust
by Circe-Baka
Summary: Distanced for years, the three successors must join in hopes of unraveling the riddles laid out by Kira. In order to defeat their mentor's enemy, they will have to form a bond that Kira cannot break: a Mutual, Never Ending Trust. FULL SUMMARY ON PROFILE!
1. Prologue Parting of Ways

**PROLOGUE- PARTING OF WAYS**

_Why?_

A short white haired boy poised himself at the edge of a window sill, gazing at the world outstretched before him. A finger twirled and twisted a lock of his bangs as he contemplated many thoughts simultaneously. Closing his dark eyes, the boy's hand fell from his hair as his knuckles made a soft thud against one of his thighs.

This was not like him, not like him at all. He was much more composed that this. Drawing in a gentle breath, his index finger returned to idly curling the same lock as before.

Something changed in the landscape, and the albino tilted his head to observe what had caught his attention. Two figures, one blonde and one red headed, came into his view, suitcases slung over their shoulders. The youth released another quiet sigh as the pair travelled away from the building the boy dwelled within.

_Mello...Matt...why?_

Arms lowered to pull his legs tightly to his chest, holding back a deep breath. He was better that this, so much better than this. Perhaps he was as weak as Mello had believed him to be.

Short memories from earlier that day played through his mind as he mulled over them intently.

o O o O o O o

Mello could not believe what he was hearing now.

L...was dead?

The blonde had erupted into a frenzy of yells and shouts, bombarding Roger with frantic questions.

_What does he hope to accomplish, acting so childishly?_ Near thought. He was not fond of Mello's outbursts and planned to stop this particular episode before it went on any longer. Putting a final puzzle piece into place, he lifted the puzzle board above his head, allowing the pieces to form a broken pile at his feet.

Mello paused in his fit, watching as the pieces fell carelessly to the floor, only for Near to resume putting the puzzle back together again. _Good. You finally stopped your nonsense._ Pieces clicked into place rapidly as Roger further explained the situation.

However, Mello's defiant tone returned just as quickly as it had left. He managed to keep his volume to an acceptable level. "The two of us...work together?" He paused a moment, speaking in a calmer manner.

"That's impossible. We don't get along. We're always competing. Always..." Mello's gaze was cast upon Near for a few seconds. Drawing in a breath, he released it and spoke quietly, firmly. "Its fine, Roger. Near should be the one to succeed L. He will no doubt put the pieces together..." Cobalt eyes attempted to meet with Near's ebony orbs; but, as always, his gaze was fixed elsewhere. "Put them together... without any emotion."

The final piece of the stark white puzzle clicked into place. As if on cue, Mello announced his plan to leave the orphanage, turned and left the room.

His last words lingered in Near's mind.

"I'll live my life my own way."

o O o O o O o

"How could Roger say that to me? In front of that dimwit no less!"

Red hair fell over bright green eyes as his head shook in dismay. "Mello..."

The two youths occupied a small bedroom. Mello poured over a small dark suitcase atop one of the twin beds, packing his clothing in a rapid process of folding then stuffing.

The other of the two sat on the opposite bed, observing his partner's actions.

"Can you believe this, Matt?" he paused to take in a quick breath. "We're not equals...we can never be. I can't stand him!"

Matt sighed, exhaling slowly. He knew it was best to let Mello calm himself before posing any legitimate notions. Once the blonde had yelled himself out, Matt began his own monologue. "I know...it's not going to happen." Matt focused on his own suitcase, propped at the side of his small bed, packed and ready to go. He would be accompanying Mello on his journey to solve the Kira case. Without Near. Without anyone but each other.

A loud "clop" noise and a metallic click signified that Mello had finished packing as he closed the suitcase. He sat next to his belongings, calming himself, watching Matt.

Silence rang in the air between the two before Mello broke it with a stutter. "Y-You're still coming with me, right?" His voice shook softly as he averted his eyes to the floor.

"Of course I am, Mello," Matt stated, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

The blonde allowed his head to rise, meeting Matt's gaze. Exactly when the red head had risen to his feet and touched the blonde was unclear to Mello, but it didn't matter. Nerves relaxed against Matt's touch, a confident smile found its way to Mello's lips. "Let's go."

o O o O o O o

Near was now in his own room, having closed the door behind himself, shutting the world out. Slumping to the bed, he rolled onto his side, eyes transfixed on nothing in particular. He curled into a fetal position, finding that the pose organized his jumbled thoughts.

_Mello..._his thoughts burned. _Mello, why? Why is it you act so irrationally when I am present?_ Hands came to rest on his kneecaps, rolling the skin in circular motions.

A soft knock at his door jarred the boy from his thoughts. But he did not move.

"Near, it's Matt. Can I come in?" When no reply came, the door was opened and in emerged the other boy. Closing the door behind him, the older youth strode over to the bed, sitting next to Near. Emerald eyes focused on the prone figure, back turned to him. He searched for answers on how to proceed.

"There's no other way to put it," he began. "But I'm going with Mello."

Near gave no signs that he ever heard Matt's words.

"I really don't know why he acts like that... he's really got to control his temper." Fingers threaded together idly as he continued. "...I wish he wouldn't do things like that."

"Take care of him."

Matt was brought out of his thoughts, perplexed that his shorter friend offered a reply. "What?"

Near rose to sitting position, still crouched over. He attempted to hold a gaze with Matt, even if it was only seconds long. "Mello needs help. He will not listen to me. But he will listen to you." Unable to hold his eyes in place any longer, Near let his focus fall on his pajama bottoms, playing idly with the wrinkles.

The red head stiffened, realizing this may be the last time he would see his younger friend.

Fingers twirled consistently in white hair before he felt warmth envelop him. Arms fell around Near, warm and gently.

"I'll keep in contact with you...somehow." Crimson bangs shielded Matt's murky orbs, hoping to keep his emotions at bay.

A light touch came to rest on one of Matt's embracing arms, fidgeting with the wrinkles in his striped top.

"I won't tell Mello, but I'll call you as often as I can. I'll tell you how we're doing so you won't have to worry about us." After a few moments, Matt released his hold on Near, trying to look the boy in the eye.

Dark eyes were fixed on the floor, far from Matt's gaze.

With a heavy sigh, he released a small chuckle, watching as the other returned to curling a lock of hair.

"Goodbye, Near."

Near felt the bedding lift as Matt rose off it, wishing for the redhead to leave the room immediately and allow him to think. His wish came true as Matt exited, turning the thumb lock and shut the door behind himself.

_You know my habits well, Matt_ thought the boy, happy that his room had been left as he liked. Returning to a prone position, Near curled his legs into himself. He was grateful to be within a confined space. It allowed his thoughts to flow freely though his mind as he began assessing and sorting.

After a few silent moments, Near rose to his feet coming to sit by the window sill, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friends departing.

Would he see them again? Would Matt really call him? Questions such as these bubbled to the surface of the albino's conscious.

L was dead now. That meant that Near would soon become the next L, following in his mentor's footsteps. He would begin pouring over the case with all his energy.

Silently, he thanked Kira.

Thanked him for the opportunity to close himself off to the world. Thanked his for the chance to burry himself in work. It would allow him to mask whatever feelings he had concerning his only friends, Matt and Mello. He would no longer feel. If he did not feel, he would not be hurt. It was all for the best, thought Near.

As the events of the Kira case would begin to unfold before their eyes, little did they know, so did the events that would prove to bring the three successors together once again.


	2. Chapter 1 The Journey Begins

**CHAPTER 1- THE JOURNEY BEGINS**

It was precisely midday in Winchester, England. The sun was high in the center of an azure sky as a pair of boys made their way across the horizon. There was a large expanse of land surrounding Wammy's House, a few acres or so long. The two walked down a long, dusty dirt road, large rectangles of grass on either side. The path seemed to go on forever, appearing to end where the sky met with the earth.

The younger of the two boys, Matt, shifted the packed suitcase in his grasp, switching it from his left to right hand. He looked over to his companion, Mello, who possessed a firm stare on the path before them.

"Mello?" the redhead finally questioned, dragging his sneaker-covered feet to a halt.

Mello paused in his stride, stopping and turning towards Matt. "Yeah?"

"You have a plan...right?" Matt came to stop, depositing his luggage beside himself, resting upon it.

The blonde placed his own case near the points of his boots, propping one leg at the side of the handle. "Of course I do!" he replied. "Did you think I'd storm out of there without having one?" Mello's tone suggested his relaxing friend took him for an idiot. He grunted, his intelligence having been insulted.

Rolling his eyes unconsciously, Matt shrugged. "I dunno..." Emerald eyes closed and reopened a few times before continuing. "I never know what you're thinking," he said, raising his hand to scratch at his scalp.

"Well, I have a plan," the blonde grinned, removing his foot and returning the suitcase to dangle from his right hand, against the shoulder blade. "C'mon!" he said, gesturing for his friend to rise from his position. "I'll tell you all about it."

Matt relaxed at his partner's comforting words, rising from his spot, clasping the case between his fingers.

The two padded down the dirt path as Mello began his explanation.

"Well first, we need to get somewhere to stay," Mello began, fishing his jean jacket pocket for a small folded paper. Unfurling it, the blonde handed it to his companion. The paper listed a small apartment in Winchester.

'1 bedroom flat for £550 per month (Author's Note: about $870). Contains a shared kitchen and dining area.'

_£550? No way..._ thought the redhead.Matt didn't have that kind of money. Currently he had 10 pound note and a few pence in his jeans pocket. He'd stolen what he could from Roger's desk before the two had set out, in the fear that Mello had no plan. At the very least, they could get a bite to eat and return to the orphanage, utterly defeated, but full. He looked to Mello, perplexed. "£550...per month?"

Mello nodded with certainty. "You're doubting me again, Matt." He placed his free hand on the suitcase, patting it with his palm twice. "I have £1,600 in here."

Matt's eyes widened, resembling saucers. "No way..." Could he have stolen from Roger too? No, there was no way Mello would have been able to land that kind of cash from their caretaker. Roger wouldn't leave that kind of money laying around for one of the children to snag. It was just by luck that the old man had left his office unoccupied a few pounds for Matt to take. "Where the hell did you get that kinda money?"

Mello snorted, trying to control the obvious laughter in his throat, placing a hand over his mouth. "Matt, you play that Game Boy of yours too much. Have you already forgotten the money we have at Wammy's house?"

Face contorted in contemplation as Matt searched for what his friend was talking about. Realization sank into his features as a small grin came to his face. "Oh yeaaah..I forgot all about that."

In addition to all that Wammy's did for their orphans, the orphanage had set up small accounts for each of the children. Were some situation to arise, then there would be money for that child.

Matt began to assess the initial totals for both his account and Mello's accounts of money, assuming Mello had withdrawn from both. He added in the totals of interest per month, coming to a number close to £1,600. "You're right...But when did you get the time to withdraw the money?"

"Roger pulled me aside before I started packing and gave it to me. Saved me the effort of asking him for it. It was part of my plan, but it just made it easier on me."

The grin fell from Matt's face as he began to put two and two together. _So that's why Roger wasn't in his office_ he thought with nervous amusement. It seemed the youth hadn't had to steal after all. It didn't matter at this point, he reasoned. If they possessed that kind of money, they would be on their own for about 2 months time. £550 for 2 months was £1,100. Factoring in food and other small expenses meant they had just enough to survive for about 60 days. But it also meant the money would run out after that time. And then what?

"I'm guessing you've figured some of my plan out, judging from your silence," Mello said, bringing the redhead out of his thoughts.

"Oh, heh, yeah." Regaining his contemplation, Matt added, "You plan to get a place for 2 months, right?"

"Exactly 2 months."

"What about...after that?"

Mello grinned. "After that, we'll be saving some money to get a better place. In the two months we're there, we'll be searching for jobs." _2 months should be enough_ thought Mello. _Just enough time to get something and start saving. We're already at a disadvantage in the Kira case to that big-headed Near. So Matt and I need to work fast._

Matt shook his head slightly. It seemed unrealistic to him that the two could both land jobs and save enough money to maintain the rent. Both of them were 14; what possible jobs could they get at their ages? He reasoned that Mello's plan was good in theory, but it probably didn't have a chance of success.

However, he decided to place his full faith in his friend's plan and try it. The odds were probably against them, but at least they possessed a little severance money. _Little..._Matt thought. _£1,600 is a good amount for two punk kids, _his mind chuckled. "Alright, Mello. Let's do it."

Confusion came into Mello's features. "Do it?" He laughed with an arrogant grin. "Like you had a choice in the first place!"

Matt shot him an irritated glare, sticking his tongue out. "Shut up..." The gamer mulled over the entire plan. First, they would have to visit their future apartment. "So we're going to the apartment first right?"

The blonde shook his head. "That's tomorrow. It'd take us too long to get there today. We'll crash at a motel today and go tomorrow." Letting out a soft yawn, the chocolate fiend continued. "Besides, I'm getting tired..."

The redheaded youth laughed, staring up at the sky. He hadn't realized that the sun was already starting to set. Oranges, pinks and light purples made up the palette of clouds splayed around the sun. He glanced at the path behind them. Wammy's house was already far out of sight, so far that it wasn't even a spec on the horizon.

Mello joined him, turning to face the path they had just traveled. "We're not going back." He paused in thought a moment. "But...we'll be fine," he reassured, continuing down the dirt road. Matt followed.

o O o O o O o

Not before long, the two found themselves in a populated part of the city. Buildings were constructed close and neatly next to one another. Cars spend by on the paved streets and people littered the sidewalks.

Matt followed closely behind Mello, unsure which direction to go. He hadn't been out of the orphanage in so long; seeing a place this busy with people moving about made him feel a little uncomfortable.

He observed Mello, who looked calm and focused. Secretly, Matt wished he had felt the same way Mello looked: confident and unwavering. A quivering hand found its way Mello's jacket and attached itself there, pulling Matt close to the blonde as they continued through the city. His other hand rested at the silver goggles around his neck, rubbing the elastic band between his thumb and index finger.

About an hour or so later Mello had located the motel he had spoken of previous and paid for one night. He had lied terribly, informing the man in the lobby that the two had just turned 18. Luckily, no one had asked for identification. Either the place was poorly managed or the workers had simply looked the other way, greedy for the boys' money. It was nice to have the beginnings of their plan to run smoothly, no matter what the reason had been.

Before retiring for the night, the pair had visited a convenience store, buying a few snacks with Matt's stolen money. Of course, Matt hadn't informed Mello of where he got the money, and luckily didn't ask.

They entered their tiny motel room, dropping their belongings on the one bed that occupied the small space. Mello jumped onto the bed, laying face down in the sheets. He kicked off his thin black boots clumsily before pulling his legs into himself, curled in a fetal position.

Matt sighed, eyes rolling a few times. He pulled each suitcase off the bed, placing them in a corner. The gamer then crawled onto the bed sitting Indian-style next to the tired blonde, sorting out their food. He tossed Mello's snacks into the blonde's lap, and unwrapped his own rations, devouring the contents hungrily.

After several minutes, the redhead had consumed half of his food. He looked over at Mello, noticing that his friend hadn't touched his own pile of food. "Mello?" He poked the blonde in the shoulder twice.

A particularly nasal snore escaped Mello as he turned away from the redhead, groaning softly.

"Oh," Matt chuckled gently. "Sorry."

The gamer continued to eat his food; he left Mello to himself as he reviewed the plan explained to him earlier. Matt feared the variables in the equation, of what could go wrong and would go wrong.

_Jobs...what kind of jobs could we get? _It would prove to be difficult. They already had to lie to get the motel room. Would they have to do the same for their apartment? What about for jobs, if they could get jobs for that matter. The redhead's mind swirled around with all these thoughts; it was almost too much for him to think about. He started to worry a little, wondering if Mello had really thought this plan through.

An uneasy feeling began to churn in his lower stomach just as Mello snored loudly, jarring the gamer from his thoughts. Matt looked at the digital watch on his wrist, noticing it was quite late. "Mello..." he asked quietly, poking the blonde in the shoulder as he had before with a little added force.

The chocolate addict batted at the hand poking him, groaning out a response. "Whaaat?" he said, tone low and irritated. "I'm sleeping here..."

"Well if you get off the covers, I can go to sleep, too," said Matt, pulling at the sheets.

The groggy blonde rose from his warm spot, moving his unopened food to the floor. He muttered quietly under his breath that he would eat it later. Mello stood hovering over the bed, removing his jacket, pants and socks, depositing them next to his food.

The redhead chuckled as he watched Mello crawl into bed, deciding he should do the same. He didn't want to remove his warm black hoodie, but decided sleeping in his shirt was most comfortable and stripped down to his shirt and boxers. He threw the clothes carelessly to the floor, slipping into bed quickly after.

Matt sighed as he relaxed against the cool sheets of the bed, feeling his fears lift from his mind as his body relaxed. He lay on his back as his friend resumed his earlier position. Not before long, Matt found himself yawning once, twice, then three times in a row, deciding to turn over and prepare to sleep. He would leave his thoughts until later. Now, he felt he needed to calm his mind and allow sleep to claim him.

Mello, however, began to think intently as he was plagued with thoughts after being roused from his slumber. He appeared to be comfortably snoozing, but in reality he was mulling over his own plans. _I wonder...will there be enough money to do all this? We just spent about £75 on the room. And thanks to Matt, we didn't have to spend our savings on food just yet. Hm, I wonder where Matt got that money...he usually spends it all on video games or something stupid. _The blonde glanced quickly at his friends' sleeping face. _Maybe he'll be better at managing our money than I thought..._

With those thoughts in mind, Mello came to the conclusion there was no reason to think any harder about his plans that night. It was best to get a good night's rest for his brain to be at its best tomorrow. Yet, he couldn't seem to shake his own feelings of doubt.

He stole a glance at Matt again, wondering if the redhead was asleep. Sapphire eyes looked over his partner, studying his breathing. Matt was most likely in a light slumber by now. Mello swallowed, chewing at his lower lip. He had been hoping to talk with Matt to relieve his worries some, whether it would solve any problems or not. But he didn't want to wake Matt.

Suddenly, Mello had an idea to relieve his stress. Whenever he used to feel this way, he would curl into Matt's side and sleep next to him. Yet now, once they had left Wammy's and were in a different environment, it didn't feel...right anymore. He was 14 now, almost 15. He had to start growing up and act like a man. He should be strong, or act strong at least.

_But..._

Slowly, he turned onto his opposite side, inching towards Matt's sleeping figure. He draped his arm gently over the other's chest. Once he realized that Matt was still asleep, he did the same with one leg, resting it over both of the redhead's thighs. The blonde placed his head on Matt's shoulder, closing his eyes with a soft sigh.

"Mello..." whispered Matt through his sleeping haze.

Cerulean eyes snapped opened, darting towards the gamer's face. His partner was thankfully still fast asleep. _Idiot..._ the blonde smiled before his eyelids grew heavy, allowing sleep to claim him.

For now, the two would rest and leave their worries for another time.

o O o O o O o

_Warm..._

Matt groaned as sunlight filtered though his heavy eyelids. He didn't want this warm, comfortable feeling to leave him just yet. He kept his eyes tightly shut, fearing that if he opened them the sensation would drift away.

"I saw you twitch, dummy."

Matt grimaced, turning away from the light and voice that had roused him. "I'm sleeping...go away," he replied tiredly.

"Quit being a baby and get up," said Mello. He sat cross-legged next to Matt, fully dressed and eating his breakfast from a foil wrapper. "Here," he said, tossing one of his own snacks at Matt's head, hitting him with an audible 'clonk'. "Eat it, since I know you already ate all your food last night."

Matt shot out of bed, gripping the food furiously. "That hurt, asshole!"

Mello stared at him, unmoved by the yelling. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just eat it already."

A grimace stayed plastered to the redhead's features as he took the food, looking it over. It was a Cadbury Chocolate bar, covered in a purple wrapper. Eyes squinted skeptically as he looked over at Mello, who was licking another chocolate bar slowly. The chocolate was becoming a melted lump against his tongue, hardly resembling a bar any longer.

"...You know I don't like chocolate."

"Yeah, and?"

"And I don't like it..."

"Eat it before I do. You'll complain all day about being hungry and I'm not gonna listen to it."

"I don't want it."

Mello crumpled his own snack in two, tossing it to the floor to tackle his friend, taking the unopened bar into his hands. "Eat it!" The blonde unwrapped the bar, exposing the sweet smelling treat. He pressed a corner of it to Matt's lips. "Eat it, jackass!"

"No, get off!" Matt struggled, drowsiness depleting his reaction time.

"You'll eat it and like it!"

"I don't want it...smells like shit."

Mello's eyes raised a fraction before narrowing in irritation. "EAT IT!" He pried Matt's lips apart, forcing a section of the bar into his mouth, breaking a portion off with leverage from Matt's teeth, and then shutting his lips forcibly. He held the redhead's mouth closed with his hand, biting off a piece for himself, chewing and quickly swallowing.

Matt gave in as the confection met his tongue, melting slightly. He chewed angrily, swallowing. "There..." he replied. "You happy now, you prick?"

"Yes, very happy, Mattie." Mello grinned, enthused by his victory over the gamer. "Now eat the rest." Crawling off his partner, the blonde tossed the bar at Matt's chest, going back to his own fallen treat on the floor. "Check out's in 10 minutes, so we have to get a move on."

Hesitantly, Matt picked up the snack, taking in a few more bites. _It's actually good...damn him._

Mello simply smiled at the irritated redhead consumed the remnants of the chocolate bar.

o O o O o O o

Another sunny day graced the two as they made their way through the city of Winchester. It was a little past midday now, Mello noted, as the sidewalks were littered with school children heading home.

The blonde walked in front, making his way down one long sidewalk as Matt lagged behind. Mello read over a small sheet of paper in one hand, the other holding tight to his suitcase.

_Let's see..._he thought, looking up from the crumpled document, scanning his surroundings. The pair had been walking for little over 3 hours, finally coming up to the street of their goal: Andover Rd.

Mello gaped at the neighborhood, noting every detail of the landscape. It was an ordinary neighborhood. Quaint buildings of reddish and cream brick were packed in tightly next to one another. Parked cars occupied only one side of the street, making it easy for moving traffic to proceed.

Each house was divided from its neighboring structures by either brick fences or oblong shrubbery. And though small, every individual dwelling included either a miniature tree, potted plants, bushes or any combination of the three.

Trees nearest the streets were spaced equidistance apart, each bare and spindly, reminding Mello of the wintry season. Snow had yet to grace this town, as it was unusually warm this December. The two boys wore a spring jacket, but nothing nearly warm enough to weather the snow. This was another lucky break for them.

Mello shook his head a few times, pulling himself back into the real world. He began his search again, checking the address of each building passed, making sure to locate the correct combination of numbers.

Matt lagged behind, engrossed in one of his many video games. Today he was playing Pok___é_mon Fire Red. It was quite a spectacle to see him playing his game with one hand, the other balancing his own suitcase in his palm. As Matt began a battle with another trainer, he lost track of the distance between Mello and himself, dropping his suitcase and falling headfirst into the blonde's backside.

"What's wrong with you, Matt?" Mello had managed to keep his balance and everything in hand, watching as Matt reclaimed his suitcase.

Matt regained his balance before earning a swift kick from his partner. The gamer dodged the kick, stepping to the left, showing better agility than he had moments ago. "Nooo, Jigglypuff! Don't die!" He yelled at the game screen.

The blonde slammed his palm against his forehead, letting the hand fall carelessly off his face. "Would you look up and pay attention already?"

"Dammit...back to the Pokémon Center again..."The redhead held up an index finger, urging Mello to wait as he saved his game, turned off the console before returning the electronic to his pocket. "What?"

"We're here..." Mello grumbled softly, pointing to his right, indicating a small, cramped looking structure with a black door.

The building itself was a tall, rectangular structure with a window and door at the bottom and two windows above. The dwelling itself looked much like a condominium complex where each individual apartment was tall and thin.

"Is that where we'll be living?" asked Matt, pocketing his hands into his jacket. He looked about the complex, noting each flat looked similar in size and construction.

"Yeah. The one on the corner here." The sound of crumpling paper could be heard as Mello put away the sheet, turning to Matt. "C'mon," he said walking up the concrete path to the wooden ebony door.

The two boys stood awkwardly close on the small stoop outside as Mello took the golden knocker into his hand, pulling it down three times then waiting, hand coming back to his side.

Muffled footsteps and creaking hinges sounded after a few moments as the front door swung open. An older man appearing in his late 50's or 60's stood by the door jab, one hand grasping the knob. He scratched at his scalp a few times which was arranged in random patches of snowy hair and bald spots. His face, full of wrinkles and liver spots, bore a tired, uninterested expression. "Can I help you?" he answered wryly.

"Uh hello." Mello felt his mouth go slightly dry, the man's demeanor jarring his own. He quickly fished his pocket for the crumpled paper, reminding himself of the man's name. "Mr. Peterson," he said with more enthusiasm. "I spoke with you the other day on the-"

Mr. Peterson cleared his throat, making a ghastly hacking noise as he swallowed a lump of something. "I don't remember talking to some..._kid_."

Eyebrows turned down as Mello found himself irritated by his future landlord's behavior. He reaffirmed his tone, stern yet polite. "Sir, I spoke to you the other day about renting this place-"

"Listen, kid," the older man interrupted again. "I wouldn't rent this place to some pesky kids. What the hell are you two thinking, anyways? Go back to your parents already..." Without another word the door was shut in the boys' faces.

Mello sighed indignantly, shoulders slumping in defeat. "Dammit..." he said, turning towards Matt.

The redhead was yards away, sitting at the curb next to his suitcase. Matt was completely silent as he resumed playing his Game Boy instantly.

Mello let out a breath, coming next to his companion. He plopped onto the curb, resting his own bag near Matt's. The blonde pushed his annoyance to the back of him mind, allowing a gentler expression to grace his features. "Don't listen to him," said the blonde, his tone soft and brotherly.

The gamer didn't move, didn't give any inclination that he heard Mello's words. Whenever Matt experienced a confrontation or a mention of his parents, he would shut down completely, find one of his many games and play. He would tune out the world around him, attempting to escape the harsh realities and circumstances that resulted in becoming an orphan.

A direct trigger, such as the argument from earlier, would put Matt into such a state. It didn't matter if the fight was physical or verbal, or if it was a mention of his own parents, or even something as small as a disagreement; any such triggers would send Matt into catatonic state where he would escape to a fantasy world in his video games.

Mello knew all about the matter. He thought idly of the past, reminding himself that Matt was actually better than he used to be about dealing with stress. _It's not like it used to be..._ he thought as his cerulean eyes fixated on the redhead.

Mello remembered all too well how Matt used to cope. A shiver ran through him then as he recalled a night terror Matt had experienced years ago. Screaming and shouting, the redhead bolted out of bed, pleading for his father to stop...

The older boy shook his head back and forth, bringing himself back to the present. He nudged Matt with his shoulder, hoping his following sentences would be heard. "Mattie..." Mello continued in his gentle tone.

Green eyes shifted to the side, looking at Mello's boots.

Mello grinned. _He's always a sucker for that pet name..._

Letting a sigh go, Matt lowered his Game Boy to his lap. He stayed this way for a few short moments, eyes returning to the LCD screen of his game console, the arrow cursor remaining stagnant.

Mello sighed, reviewing his next move. Before he could do anything more, the blonde found himself face to face with Matt's green eyes. He looked so scared and helpless, much like a lost child. "What are we gonna do..?"

Mello had all but forgotten about the current issue, having been concerned with Matt's feelings. He felt, as the oldest, it was his obligation to look over Matt and Near...the latter no longer his concern.

Going over the last few minutes, the blonde was reminded of why they were on the curb in the first place: they were here to rent an apartment. A fire began to burn within the almost 15 year old as he stood.

"Mello?" Before Matt could react he had been pulled up by one arm, dropping his Nintendo DS. He now stood on the flats of his feet, erected at a 90 degree angle from his sidewalk. It had all happened so fast that Matt had hardly realized he was no longer sitting.

The younger boy struggled to bend forward, one arm still in Mello's grasp, reaching for his fallen Game Boy. As soon as he had reached the game console, he had been whisked away back to the stoop of that apartment, leaving their bags were they lay on the ground.

No longer polite, Mello stomped once on the small porch and pounded a fist into the wooden door several times.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" said Mr. Peterson from behind the door. He looked frazzled as the door reopened, revealing the same older man stood before the two, fumbling to adjust his glasses. Once his eyes were focused, he assumed a scowl. "You again?" He raised a hand to his face, middle and index finger massaging between his eyebrows. "Look...what is it that you kids want from me? Just go back home already..."

Mello didn't let his guard down. He kept a tight grasp on Matt, not letting him escape this time. It was Matt's retreat that had ultimately broken Mello's concentration. This time, he wouldn't take no for an answer. "Sir, we have no home."

One corner of the older man's lip twitched as he continued listening, shifting his weight from one foot to another, sighing deeply.

"We're orphans. We've been living at a place called Wammy's House until yesterday."

"Well...why don't you go back there, then?"

"Because we're old enough to live on our own." A bit calmer now, Mello let go of Matt, whispering to him to gather their suitcases up.

"Do you even know how much a place like this'll run you?"

Matt returned with both cases, tapping one of Mello's hands with the suitcase handle until the blonde took it in his grasp.

"As I said before, I'm the one who talked to you on the phone the other day. I have enough money in here for 2 months rent." Mello indicated the suitcase in his grasp. "£550 per calendar month for 2 months is £1100. We have enough for other living expenses, too. In the meantime we'll both be looking for jobs." He made a point to look the older man square in the eyes, his gaze firm.

Mr. Peterson cleared his throat, a little softer than he had previously. He sighed a few times, contemplating any way to get out of this situation and refuse the offer, finding no reason to decline. Defeated, he replied, "Dammit, I'm too nice..."

Mello grinned.

"You two had better be on the ball with your payments. You miss one, you're out."

Mello gave a sideways glance to Matt, whose expression hand drastically changed from gloomy to cheerful.

"Don't you worry about that, Mr. Peterson."

"Right, right." He turned, beckoning the two to enter the dwelling. "C'mon, lemme at least show you around first."

o O o O o O o

It was now Friday, a few days since Mello and Matt had met Mr. Peterson, their landlord, and rented a new apartment. The pair was currently making their way through a wholesale shop, purchasing some necessary items.

_What a week..._thought Mello, remembering everything that had happened in the last couple of days. His present thoughts were of the apartment's condition itself. It was a small place, only a one level apartment. The upstairs was vacant, but currently on the market to be rented. But as small as their flat was, it contained everything an apartment needed: a small living and dining room, bedroom with adjoining bathroom, kitchen and a washroom for doing laundry.

Mello had expected the interior to be vacant, and cringed at the thought of having to buy at least a mattress for the two to sleep. Luckily, the previous tenants had left some of their old furniture which included a couch, coffee table, dining table and chairs, a floor lamp, a bedroom mattress and frame, bedroom dresser, some kitchen supplies such as cutting board and some old flatware, an old wash tub for cleaning clothes and a wall clock. By chance they even had an old stove, not much to look at, but it worked nonetheless. The blonde had sighed many times at that fact; luckily to know the one thing he had not factored into his plan, the mattress, would not become a costly mistake.

But after all the negotiations and payment, Matt and Mello had been left to themselves, jumping up and down hugging one another. It had been a monumental victory for the two, and they toasted off the first night in their place with a few cans of soda.

They discussed new plans, deciding to clean their apartment that Thursday and then on Friday go shopping for some much needed supplies. Matt learned fast that he would not be allowed to treat the apartment as he had his own bedroom back at Wammy's. He'd been caught littering in their bedroom that week and quickly reprimanded by Mello.

_He's such an idiot sometimes..._thought Mello. _But he'll learn. I'll leave him to the housework while I go looking for jobs. I have the best people skills, and I really don't want to leave Matt by himself in the city. I can take care of myself..._ Perhaps Matt would become better with people as he grew up. For now, he had far too many issues that would prevent him from being completely on his own.

This left Mello with a dilemma of finding Matt any sort of out-of-house job. _I guess I'll ask him to look for some online job. At least he's good at computers and stuff._

"Mello...Meeeeelloooo..."

_I guess I'll tell him about that later tonight. Wow, I still have a lot I need to share with him. _Nodding, the blonde reaffirmed his thoughts. _One thing at a time..._

"Mello Yello!"

The feisty blonde was brought out of his thoughts, staring angrily at Matt who was pushing a shopping cart. "What Matt?"

"What's next on the list?" He gave a bored stare towards Mello, attempting not to laugh at the angry expression staring back at him. "Oh just give it to me," he added, snatching the paper out of Mello's hands, pushing the cart down another aisle. He let out a snicker, which informed Mello to search and destroy the redhead.

"Maaaatie..." Mello assumed a low tone, darting after the gamer.

The pair came to a stop in front of shelves of shampoo, where Matt grabbed a few bottles and placed them in the cart.

Mello, forgetting his anger, gazed over the cart. "Matt..." he said in a lowly, removing a few items from the trolley. "These things weren't on the list..."

"So what?"

Sighing, the blonde realized he hadn't told Matt about their expenses. "Mattie...we can only afford the basics right now. Sorry, I didn't tell you."

Matt looked down at the floor, then to the items in Mello's arms. A can of Pringles, 3 bags of chips, frozen Pizza Rolls...even the stack of chocolate bars that Mello adored. The redhead frowned. _We must not have a lot if he's even giving those up..._ "Sorry..."

"It's alright. Just get what's on the list, alright? Cheapest you can find."

Green eyes returned to the floor tiles, staring at the tops of his shoes.

There was a silence between the two, showing that the mood had lowered significantly.

"I'm going to go put these back, ok? You stay here." Without letting Matt reply, Mello had left.

The redhead looked up and down the aisle, realizing he was all by himself. He sighed deeply, uneasily. Matt didn't like being left alone; however he had been trying to work on that phobia ever since the day they'd left Wammy's.

It was something that he'd have to get over sooner or later, and the gamer thought when better to start than now. He stifled his emotions by assuming a bored look. Matt pillowed his arms on the handle of the shopping cart, and then rested his chin on his wrist.

_Chocolate bars..._thought Matt, returning to the matter of money and groceries. _You're denying yourself those?_ He began to calculate their current expenses, attempting to fill in the holes of his thoughts. _I believe Mello said we had £1,600 at the very beginning of all of this. We paid for the motel and spent £75 and then for the first month's rent so that leaves..._ _£975. I also have to factor in that we'll be paying for another month's rent with that money leaving about...no exactly £425._

Matt shook his head, questionable about the expenses. _I've paid for all the food so far, so that hasn't dipped into our savings yet. But still..._If after all necessary expenses they still had £425 (Author's Note: about $680), then why were they only buying the bare minimum?

Matt looked over the list. '2 blankets, 2 pillows, 3 bottles of laundry detergent, 3 tubes of toothpaste, 5 bars of soap, 4 bottles of shampoo, 5 towels, 4 big packs of toilet paper & paper towels...' _What a boring list..._ Certainly not all of that would cost £425, especially considering that they were shopping at a bulk store. If they were shopping at Tesco or Sainsbury's (Author's Note: English supermarkets equivalent to Meijer and K-mart) then maybe they'd be spending a lot more. But really...something wasn't adding up here.

Before long, Mello had returned with a handful of towels and a few blankets, placing them in the cart. "Thought I'd grab these..."

"Mello...I've got a question..."

He looked to Matt. "Yes?"

"I went through most of the calculations in my head. If we have £425 left, then why are we only buying toilet paper and stuff?"

Mello chuckled. "Good to know you're putting your brain to use."

The redhead quirked an eyebrow. "I do...I just chose not to use it all the time."

"But you're forgetting something, Matt. Didn't you notice that there's no food on the list?"

Blinking, Matt looked down at the contents in the cart, then to the paper list. Low and behold, there was no food. "Wait a minute...so the rest of the money is for food?"

Mello nodded. "£425. Until either of us has a job, we'll be living off that for almost 2 months." He looked over the trolley, noting every item in it. "We need all this stuff. I estimate it will be about £145 for this and a few other things we'll really need. That leaves £280 for food until January 31st."

Matt let all the facts add up. After a moment, he replied, "That's only... £5 a day for food." (Author's Note: about $8)

"Yeah for the both of us," added Mello, morbidly. "So you can see...we can only buy a few things." Mello smiled at his partner sadly, turning his back to him. "C'mon. We have a few more things to get."

Everything was starting to set in on Matt. At first, it seemed like they had a lot of cash, enough to live on their own for a bit. But Matt soon realized it was foolish to believe that the money wouldn't run out.

Mello had really put thought into his plans, planning out where every pound would be spent.

£5 for food per day...The next few months were going to be rough.

Matt could feel a small amount of fear, and hunger, pass over him. He rubbed at his stomach with one palm, sighing. _Guess I'll have to get used to that feeling..._he thought, his stomach growling softly.

_But...I believe in Mello's plan. _

Looking up, he noticed that Mello was already a few yards ahead of him. Placing his hands on the handle of the trolley, he flew down the aisle. "Hey Mello, wait up!"

o O o O o O o

It was now December 13th, just another boring day to the feisty, now chocolate-deprived blonde. A nightly snow storm had left most of Winchester covered in a few inches of snow, adding to Mello's luck that day; that fact hadn't improved his mood any. He wandered aimlessly around the town, from one business to another unable to find work for himself or for Matt.

He sighed, attempting to think of happier thoughts, deciding to look back on the last eight days. A lot had happened since the two had left Wammy's house, and, in that time they had rented the cheapest apartment they could find. Nothing had proved to be easy so far, especially reasoning with Mr. Peterson; he had given the two boys hell for appearing as irresponsible children.

_Bullshit..._whispered Mello's mind, padding around another corner on the street. He watched as more snow glistened down the path, covering the footprints he left behind him.

He paused in his stride, adjusting the ratted scarf around his neck, staring at the material indignantly. If only he and Matt had a job...one job. Then perhaps he wouldn't have to wear such an awful hand-me-down from Roger.

Roger had proven to be a useful caretaker. Having realized Mello would not listen to any other reasoning; he pulled the youth aside and gave him the lump sum of money that had been slowly accumulating interests since Mello had arrived at the orphanage. He'd guessed Matt would be accompanying him and made sure to give him the gamer's funds as well.

In addition to the money, Roger had handed over a few winter clothes to the blonde, reminding Mello that the first frost was soon approaching. And damn, had he been right. About 4-5 inches of the white stuff had blanketed most of Winchester, only proving to rub Mello the wrong way.

He had no snow boots, only a pair of thin black slip-on boots, that weren't made for winter. His feet felt like blocks of ice as he made his way through the town, desperately searching for work, but to no avail. Mello checked the digital watch on his wrist. It read '5:00 PM'. He chuckled. _At least Matt comes in handy for something..._he thought, staring at Matt's watch on his hand.

It was now 5pm which meant Mello was done job-hunting for the day. Most of the businesses on this street were going to be closed soon and no one would be willing to listen to his sob story by now, certainly not with the promise of going home after a hard day of work. Deciding to stop until the next day, Mello headed for their apartment, his only place to call home.

About 20 minutes later the youth made his way through the door, cold, wet and tired. He closed the door, removing his scarf and thin coat, placing the two on a nail by the doorway. He kicked his shoes at the foot of the wall there, a small puddle of melting snow already forming.

Mello wearily climbed onto the armrest of the couch, landing face first onto a cushion. It was the most awkward way to lie upon the furniture, but the action seemed to fit the mood for Mello. He was happy to be home.

_Home..._he thought miserably. _This is my home now..._But for how long would this be his home? Another few weeks and their money would run out. Already admitting defeat was unlike Mello. But he wouldn't be giving in this early in the game; he would be victorious and accept nothing else.

Turning onto his back, the blonde soon realized that he had not seen Matt yet. He paused in thought, scanning the living room for his partner. "Matt?" he questioned tiredly, but no reply came.

He rose to sit, moving off the couch in search of the redhead. He found his partner hunched over a filled dish, appearing somewhat concentrated and embarrassed with himself. "Matt...what are you doing?"

The gamer shook in surprise, brought out of his contemplative state by the query spoken to him. He looked up at Mello, shaking his head in dismay. "Aw dammit..." he replied dejectedly. "I was hoping to get this done before you got back..."

Mello looked confused, unsure what his friend was talking about.

Moving to the left, Matt revealed a round cake, half frosted. Shoulders fell hunched as he fidgeted with a spoon and a butter knife in his hands. "I'm really not good at this stuff..." he chuckled, placing the dirty utensils on the counter by the cake dish. "Heh...not even Roger was really good at this stuff. Linda was the one to bake all the birthday cakes and cookies and stuff. She's so good at stuff like that, like she's a mom or something. But..." The redhead trailed off, lowering his head. "But she's not here. So...I made it."

Mello was awestruck. A cake...a birthday cake. Had he been so blind to forget his own birthday? Rent and jobs had been on his mind since the day the two had left...little more than a week ago. He had thought only about his age as the promise of being older, the promise of being 15 now and not 14 any longer; perhaps giving him a better shot at finding a job, any job at all. But no, he hadn't really thought about his birthday.

Mello looked at the cake which appeared to be a huge mess. It was a one layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, obviously Mello's favorite. The frosting looked as if it had been melted then spread over the surface, causing the top layer of cake to become tangled and clumped, creating a new mixture.

Matt was obviously not good at such tasks, and rightfully so. He played video games all the time, tinkered with computers, too. He hardly cleaned his room, hardly threw away his trash correctly. He'd never done a task such as this in his entire life. Well...at least until today.

The condition of the cake made Mello want to laugh. Out of sympathy for his friend he held back his laughter, instead grateful to Matt. Mello's face was blank, giving no indication of the happiness welling within him. He raised a hand which Matt quickly moved away from, scooping up a lump of frosting to place in his mouth.

Opening his eyes, Matt looked at his companion, shocked to see that he had not been berated for creating such a mess.

"It's good," said Mello with a small smile. The lump of smooth chocolate melted in his mouth. _Oooh...I've missed this taste..._ The chocolate fiend felt a wave of euphoria come over him. He hadn't had chocolate in a week.

"R-Really? It's good?" Matt's eyes were large as saucers, making him look like a frantically excited puppy.

Once free of frosting, Mello rubbed his moist finger over his shirt then placed it on the top of Matt's head, petting him three times. "I forgot about my birthday...thanks for reminding me."

"Y-You forgot? How can Mello forget such things?"

"I dunno...I've been really busy." In actuality, Mello had never been too fond of his birthday. But he would save such details for another time.

Matt closed the gap between the two, giving Mello a defiant expression. "But Mello is always supposed to remember his birthday." The boy raised a few fingers to his friend's nose, flicking it softly. "But if Mello doesn't remember, Matt will always be here to remind him," he said, smiling.

Taken back, Mello showed his shock with widened blue eyes. He could tell that Matt was terribly embarrassed; speaking in third person had been the indication.

But his thoughts quickly dropped that matter. Matt...his only friend now, his only companion. The promise of coming home to Matt every night was all that had kept him going out every day, only to be scolded by adults.

'Where are your parents? Go home already!' was a popular phrase uttered by the business owners Mello had spoken to. It only reminded him of the pain of being an orphan. No parents, no home; that is what having a home meant to the world. But who needed parents? Mello had a home. He had Matt here, waiting for him every night.

_A home..._thought Mello, looking to Matt's smiling face. Whether he had a home, an apartment or not he had a home. His home was here where Matt was, wherever he and Matt were. A lump formed in the back of Mello's throat, choking a bit of oxygen out of him. He silenced this by breathing in deeply, not fond of the idea of letting Matt know only to worry about him. He smiled, attempting to hold back the tears that were sure to form otherwise.

_Wait..._thought Mello, looking over at the cake again. _How did he buy all this stuff?_ It was one thing if Matt had somehow purchased a store-bought cake for the occasion. But from the mess in the kitchen it was quite obvious that Matt had made the cake from a box. That included such things as cake mix, frosting, eggs, milk, oil and cake pans...things that neither of the two had money to buy.

Suddenly it was all starting to make sense. Until that moment, Mello couldn't understand why Matt looked a little thinner and complained more so about being hungry in the last few days. He had to have saved his food money in order to buy everything for that cake.

With £5 a day, it was already hard to eat three meals. There was no fridge to store food, so it was decided they would buy food the same day they would eat it. Every morning Mello would go out and buy their rations for the day. But recently Matt had shown a bit of courage and told the blonde that he would go out and buy lunch and dinner on his own. Mello hadn't thought long about the proposal, believing Matt was getting over his fear of going outside by himself, and agreed to the idea. He gave Matt his share of their food money for the day, then went out to search for jobs. Coming home, he would find that his partner had 'already eaten'. But now...it was all so clear what Matt had been doing.

Mello was sure he would cry now, and, for good measure, he turned towards Matt and hugged him, burying his face in the crook of the redhead's neck.

Shocked by this action, Matt stood frozen, hands outstretched before him.

"Thank you Matt..." said Mello quietly.

Seemingly understanding what Mello was feeling, Matt raised his dominant hand to Mello's hair, petting it gently. "Happy 15th Birthday, Mello."

There was a short silence between them before a large growl came from Matt's belly, causing Mello to jump backwards out of surprise.

A deep crimson flushed the gamer's cheeks as he looked away. "Um...if you don't mind. Can Matt eat some of this now?"

Blinking a few times and then laughing terribly, Mello smiled. "Yeah, of course, Mattie."

o O o O o O o

It had now been over a month since moving into their apartment. Living together, tending to housework, making way through snow in thin clothing and eating very little each day were becoming commonplace to the two youths.

Mello would wake up and leave around 10am to purchase breakfast and lunch. Since Mello's birthday, he insisted on handling all the food money to make sure that Matt didn't go hungry. As much as he appreciated the gesture on his birthday, he wanted to make sure Matt was as healthy as their finances would allow.

But with such a small budget for food a day, it was anything but healthy. Mello was left choosing between chips and different candies which were the cheapest at the local convenience store.

As Mello was out, Matt would stay behind, make their bed, and begin washing yesterday's dirty clothes. It had been easy for Matt to learn how to wash clothing, to the blonde's surprise. As consequence, it became one of the gamer's daily chores.

Laundry had to be done once a day. With all the snow and dirt Mello trekked through each day, it was necessary for the blonde to have freshly laundered clothes.

The couple had so few clothes to begin with, so it didn't take long for Matt to wash, rinse and hang the clothing up to dry.

Matt had a few stripped shirts, one of which, a black and red one, he was already wearing. Along with that he had one pair of jeans, a black hoodie, and few pairs of socks and underwear.

Mello didn't possess much more that his redheaded companion. He usually wore a black long sleeved shirt, black pants ratted at the bottoms and his light denim jean jacket. He had one other black t-shirt, along with socks and underwear. As consequence, he had to rotate his clothes rather quickly.

Just as Matt would begin to hang the rinsed clothes on a small indoor clothesline, Mello would return home with food. He would give Matt his rations lunch while eating his own breakfast. The blonde would pocket his lunch for later, consuming it as he searched for jobs around the city.

After eating, the redhead would start a hot bath for Mello, who would sit in the tub and soak up as much warmth as possible before he would have to go out and look for jobs. Matt would wait to bathe himself until after Mello left. In the meantime, the gamer would dry his partner's clothing over the heater so they would be as dry as possible for Mello's second trip of the day.

As soon as Mello finished, he would switch places with Matt, sharing the still warm bath water in lieu of drawing another bath altogether. Mello would then dress and head out to look for jobs.

After bathing, Matt would dry off and dress, and then sit in front of his laptop for hours. No, this was not because he was playing an online RPG, not that he didn't want to; but, on the contrary.

While Mello scoured local businesses for work, Matt would search the far recesses of the internet for jobs. In recent days Matt became better with household tasks of cleaning and maintenance, but at the end of the day he was a computer geek. The best suited job for him was anything computer-related.

After long hours of searching and coming up with nothing, Matt would give up and begin playing on his Game Boy until Mello came through the door with dinner.

Today, however, Mello didn't come home right away.

Typically the blonde would return home between 5:15 and 5:45, depending on how far he had ventured into the city. He usually gave up around 5 o'clock, because most local businesses closed up shop around that time.

But now, it was already 6:17. Matt stared at the clock on his computer, then to the front door and back again. He began to feel a little nervous. It really wasn't like Mello to be out so long. Perhaps he'd caught a break and found work and had to stay late as a consequence. Even so, Matt had a heavy feeling come over him. Something didn't feel right about it. It would have made Matt feel better if Mello had a cell phone. He could have called him now to see what had been going on. But they didn't have that kind of money...

Matt looked back at the clock which read 6:18. Counting the minutes was getting him nowhere. He returned to his game, Final Fantasy VI Advanced. Before long he had entered battle with the final boss, completely engrossed in his game, nerves relaxing.

A loud slam of the front door jarred the gamer out of his thoughts, causing him to drop his game to the floor, which fell with a loud thud. He cursed under his breath, combing his bangs to the side with one hand. "Dammit Mello, I was in a battle with Kefka and you..." He looked up to lock eyes with his companion, who was nowhere in sight.

Matt sat up from his spot in the dining room, coming over to the front door. He found Mello slumped to the floor, his soggy clothes clinging to his body. Even his shoes were still on his feet.

Next to him was a bag from the local food mart: their dinner. As hungry as Matt was at the time, he couldn't help but forget the pangs in his stomach, focused solely on his friend."Mello?"

The blonde sat against the wall, knees bent and forearms rested against those knees. Eyes stared blankly at the floor at his feet. Those eyes, usually vibrant cobalt were now a dull gray.

That heavy, sinking feeling from before crept upon Matt again. He tried to conceal his shock, appearing as calm as possible. He sat next to Mello on the floor. "Mello. Mello...what's wrong?"

Nothing seemed to be getting through to him.

"Mello...hey Mello!" Matt was starting to get really worried, forgetting to be calm and instead yelling at the side of Mello's face. "Mello!" Enough was enough. Matt raised a hand, slapping his partner across the left cheek. The smack was audile and echoed in the room a moment before Mello came to his senses.

Blue eyes regained their hue as large tears filled them, streaming down one pale and one red marked cheek. Mello turned towards Matt, burying his face in the black and red striped shirt.

"Me-Mello...I'm sorry!" Arms came to rest around Mello's shoulders as Matt apologized.

A few moments passed, and soon the redhead realizing his actions were not the reason for his friend's outburst of emotion. He relaxed into the wall, rubbing along the older boy's spine slowly.

He decided it was best for Mello to cry himself out. Once he was done, he would ask what had happened.

_God, what's wrong with me? _Thought Mello. _I've been in such a bad mood all day, worrying about everything. And now I come home and start crying like a baby...in front of Matt no less._ Mello wanted to hide so much right now. He feared retreated even, because he would have to show Matt his tears again, again show his vulnerability to another.

_I haven't cried like this in a long time...not since..._Not since Mello's 6th birthday had he cried like this.

Last time it had been in front of L.

_L..._

The thought of his late mentor only produced more tears. He grabbed hold of Matt's shirt tightly, sobbing loudly into his friend's chest.

L had been his first friend, the only one to ever show him any form of care and love. His own parents had disregarded him, treated him like furniture or a wall. No, even less than that; they treated him like he wasn't even there.

But when Mello had been taken into child services, it was L who came and met with him. He extended a hand to the young Mello. 'Let's go home,' he said, whisking him away to Wammy's House...his new home.

L gave him a home, gave him a sense of family. He also gave him a purpose in life, something to strive to become. Even now he was trying to attain that dream, to become even a tenth of what L had been. He wouldn't share that with Near, he couldn't. He and only he would be the one to be L's number two.

_That stupid Near...he doesn't even care to begin with..._

Mello decided this was not a time to hate Near. It wasn't Near who had put Mello and Matt in this rut.

There were no jobs to be had, and the money was running out fast. In a week the rent would be due for February. There was no money to pay for it...Mello had realized this fact the moment he had woken up. Something told him that today was going to be bad, and he couldn't help but cling to the rosary around his neck that morning, playing with the red beads idly.

He'd looked at the watch on wrist at 5pm that day, not too fond of going home. It hadn't been Matt's fault; Mello just wanted to be alone in his gloom. He had wandered the streets of Winchester, thinking of their situation and of L's death. The combination of both subjects left him empty and hopeless, and he had lost track of time.

At 6 he decided enough and headed back home. The moment Mello had come through the door, the weight of everything had fallen upon his shoulders and he slid to the floor.

He didn't want to face reality and found himself locked into a loop between money woes and the death of his mentor. It was the slap across the face that reminded the blonde that he had to face facts. And before he knew it, he was clinging to Matt like a 5 year old, sobbing.

There was nothing Mello could do about L's death. But his own situation...there was no Plan B to his plan. If he and Matt were to fail, there would be nothing left to do but return to Wammy's.

But that met admitting defeat.

Meaning he'd failed himself.

Meaning he had failed L.

Mello's tears were beginning to dry up as he felt a nose and lips on the top of his head. Matt. Matt was here, asking no questions, idly petting his back.

At the very least, Mello didn't have to go through this alone. And L had not been his only family, Matt was, too.

Somehow, things would turn out for the better. Somehow, Mello had to believe in this, that his and Matt's efforts weren't for naught.

Somehow, they would keep moving forward.


	3. Chapter 2 Way of Living

**CHAPTER 2- WAY OF LIVING**

It was a clear Sunday afternoon in Winchester, practically breathtaking compared to previous days. Various scattered snow storms had resulted in white outs and school closings. In spite of such weather, Mello still made one trip per day to a local gas station/mart for food, much to his dismay. During his visits, the blonde pondered many sarcastic thoughts of using the outdoors as a means of refrigeration.

Today, Mello had already gone home and fed himself and Matt. He decided to go out again to soak up some sun and think to himself. He felt it was easiest to contemplate away from all homely distractions.

Mello kept to the concrete path before him, beginning to delve into the many thoughts within his mind.

_9 days now..._he thought. _9 days to come up with __£550 by February 1__st__. _It would be damn near impossible, considering his track record: no job, no income, no nothing. It certainly wasn't for lack of trying; Mello committed himself to searching everyday of the working week, going from business to business.

He went into stores that had 'HELP WANTED' signs in the window first. Once he had exhausted those places, Mello visited other stores that required knowledge and book work. Because of his age, and lack of a high school diploma, no one would even think of hiring him. Perhaps if there was time he would apply for a GED. Without one, there weren't many job prospects.

Mello knew he could work at most places he went, probably even do the work better than adults with college degrees. But for his age, for lack of diplomas and references he was treated like any other 15th year old boy. He would do anything for a simple job of taking out the garbage; he had already tried for menial labor positions, but still, no one would hire him.

Despite this fact, Mello kept going.

He sighed deeply, turning a corner. _£550...how can I come up with that kind of money in 9 days...?_ Smart as he was, the genius blonde had no Plan B to come up with such an amount of money. There was stealing as a final choice, but Mello didn't want to risk that. Kira's wrath would befit such an injustice. Being killed this early in the game was not an option. And being caught by the police meant that Kira would find him quickly.

Letting a long breath go, Mello focused his thoughts elsewhere. February 1st; it was not only the day to pay next month's rent but consequently Matt's 15th Birthday. The blonde grunted at such a thought. He didn't want to loathe Matt's birthday, one reason being he had no gift to give. It didn't help that Matt had been dropping hints for a gift, either.

Mello reflected on one memory in particular when Matt was going on about one particular game coming out soon.

'_Look! Look Mello!'_

'_What is it now?'_

'_Super Mario 64 for Nintendo DS! It's coming out March 11!' Matt sighed, swooning._

_Mello huffed, focusing his attention left of Matt. He didn't want to look him in the eye. 'You know I don't have money right now, Mattie...'_

'_Oh that's fine,' added the redhead. 'It doesn't come out for a while anyways!'_

If Matt had been hiding disappointment, he'd done a great job. Mello didn't have the heart to tell him he would have nothing to give Matt on his birthday.

There was no extra money, and, if there was any it would go towards eating more than junk food. Mello vowed then and there that once he had the rent paid and a little extra, he would treat Matt to a good meal. Most likely it would be something hot, something with meat and vegetables.

Matt deserved much better than Mello could provide...that's what he felt in that moment.

The irritated blonde shuffled down the sidewalk, dragging his boots on the pavement. It wasn't fair that the redhead had starved and sacrificed in order to give Mello a birthday cake. It meant so much to the 15 year old that he needed to pay Matt back, on his special day, too.

_Somehow..._he thought. _Somehow..._

Mello looked up a moment, stopping to stand and clear his mind. He couldn't seem to shake the feeling of eyes upon him right before he'd stopped, having pasted an alleyway. Looking to his left he found a man staring at him.

Mello calmed himself as to not show weakness to the visitor, staring back at the adult before him. He looked to be about 6 feet tall, thin and appeared to be in his mid 20's. A shaggy mop of blackish brown hair fell over his face, though it was not nearly as long as Mello's own. The man wore a pair of dark sunglasses that covered from the bottom ridge of his eyebrows to the tops of his cheeks. A long black trench coat was draped around his boney shoulders; the pockets of that coat were stuffed with an assortment of trash and what looked to be crumpled paper balls.

The blonde-haired youth quirked an eyebrow, eliciting a smirk from the staring adult. Mello could feel a chill run down his spine, mindful not to let on that he was feeling uncomfortable.

"Hey there, lil' girl," said the man lazily, leaning against one wall in the alley. "Y'wanna c'mere uh sec?"

_L-Little girl?_ Mello knew he looked feminine; hair and slim build considered. But this guy had to be a complete idiot not to see that Mello was a boy. Lips turned downwards as his anger began to show.

Without much thought, Mello made his way over to the man, hands grasping the collar of the stranger's shirt, pulling him down to eyelevel. "Little girl?" His voice quivered angrily, eyes narrowed to express only small percentage of the fury boiling inside of him. "Are you trying to pick me up or something, pal?" Mello made sure his tone was low and gravely, making his gender obvious.

Realizing his faux pas, the unusual man put his hands up in defense. "No, no it was uh mistake! I didn't mean anythin' by it like that, man, honest!" His eyes were large and visible over the tops of the man's sunglasses, proving he was scared, and of a 15 year old, no less. "Serious, dude, I didn't mean anythin'. Please!"

_Wow...this guy's a wimp..._thought Mello, releasing his collar.

The man stood straight up, dusting off his shirt. "Dude, watch th'threads..." he sighed, sounding thankful to be alive.

"So what did you want from me?" asked Mello, arms crossed over his chest as he propped a foot on the wall opposite the one the stranger was now against.

Glancing tiredly at Mello, the man replied, "I was tryin' to sell some stuff to ya..." He extracted a small plastic bag from an inner coat pocket, holding it up at his eyes. The bag was filled with a fine white powder. "You interested at all? This stuff's pretty good..." he grinned, wiping the under part of his nose with a free hand.

"...Are you crazy? Or just stupid?"

"W-What are you saying?" Added the stranger, distinctly caught off guard by such a comment. "This coke is the best...you just need uh little sprinkle n' bam!" He threw his arms out in front of himself, grinning. "It's guuuud..."

Mello raised an eyebrow. _Coke? Ah I see...so he's a drug dealer. Good to know he wasn't trying to pick me up..._The blonde wretched as such a though, looking the man over. It seemed like this stranger didn't know what soap and toothpaste were. "I see...god, I thought you were hitting on me or something..."

"Well, what do ya expect when ya got such girly hair like tha-" The dealer resisted finishing his sentence, an intense blue-eyed glare forcing him to immediately clam up. He cleared his throat, returning the bag of cocaine to his pocket. "Well if ya don't want anythin' then I've got nothin' t'say to ya..." He made a motion with his hand that suggested Mello leave.

The blonde placed a thumb at the corner of his lips. _Hm...drug dealing. This guy looks like a total loser, but I've read about drug dealing before and discussed it with L. _

Mello began to review old conversations in his mind that he had shared with L. A great deal of their later conversations were based primarily on L's work solving cases, and Mello's own questions about how criminals commit such misdeeds.

_L used to tell me that dealing was a booming industry and that the distributors can make a lot of cash. _Contrary to such a comment, L advised the young Mello that such a tempting occupation only lead to jail time. Mello, however, ignored such warnings. He believed that L would make an exception if he were alive now; besides, it wasn't as if Mello was the one to take the drugs, only distributing them. _I wonder..._

Mello began to devise a plan in his mind. He would start small with this idea and see where it took him. Besides, if anything fishy were to happen, Mello knew he could take care of himself. "Well, let's say I _was_ interested..."

The dealer's ears perked as he came closer to the youth. "Really?" He pulled the baggy out again, waving it in front of Mello's face. "This stuff here is th'best, like I said a'for."

Mello grinned. He was now sure it would be easy to manipulate this man anyway he saw fit. "You said it was Cocaine, right? How much is a bag like that and...how much is in it?"

"Shhhh!" The dealer huffed loudly. "Don't blow m'cover, dude..." He whispered looking around to see if anyone had heard Mello's words.

Mello snorted exasperatedly through his nose, mindful not to bring further attention to him and the dealer.

"This lil' beaut here is reaaally potent." He stated as if talking about the newest model of an automobile. "It'll knock ya right on yar ass," he added, chuckling lowly. "I'd have ta say it's about... oh..." Bringing the bag back to eye level, the drug dealer scratched at his head, trying to remember the quantity. "It's just uh few grams...I'd have ta say. And it'll run ya about oh...for ya £100 even." Waving the bag before Mello's eyes a few times, the dealer's grin increased. "Sooo...ya interested now?"

_£100? Really...so I could sell, hypothetically, 6 bags and have enough rent money. Perhaps...a little extra to get a gift for Mattie. _Mello began to weigh the pros and cons of such a dangerous job. Dealing would be akin to stealing money in Kira's eyes. But Mello decided it would be easier than being caught outright robbing a bank. He didn't have the money for a gun or bullets to steal from a bank in the first place.

Drug dealing also, wasn't the hardest job. For one thing, there would always be customers, and there would always be suppliers. Time was passing quickly and the blonde was sure he'd never have an opportunity like this again. He would have to play his cards right, but, Mello was certain his idea would bear fruit.

"Well...I was-" Before Mello could finish, a cell phone ringtone rang loudly. He turned around looking for the source. Turning back towards the dealer, the blonde saw it was his.

The stranger stuffed the drugs back into his coat, his hand returning with a cell phone. He unfolded the cellular device, holding it to one ear. "Hm? Oh boss, yeah." There was a pause. "Yeah...yeah...I was um..." He faltered, beginning to stutter out a reply. "I-I was workin' on it." The voice on the other end could be heard loudly yelling something that sounded like, '...or you'll be dead!' "Right, right. Promise it'll get done soon. Yeah..." He lowered his phone, closing it and placing it back in one of his pockets.

Mello stared at him curiously, wondering how to make his next move.

"Gaaaah!" The stranger yelled, throwing his arms in the air. "What am I gonna do now?" The dealer turned to the brick wall behind him, attempting to come up with some sort of plan. "How am I s'posed to move it? There are eyes all over the city...I dunno why G's puttin' all uh this on m'shoulders..."

"Hey..." said the blonde, but was unheard. Mello blinked a few times. His opportunity to strike had been ruined by that phone call. And now, he was being ignored by the biggest idiot he'd ever met; an idiot who incidentally was Mello's only hope presently. "Heeey..." he said again, but twice his words were unnoticed.

Deciding to use the same method as before, the furious blonde came up behind the stranger, turning him around by the neck of his coat, and then grasping his collar. "Listen to me you idiot!"

Eyes large again, the drug dealer looked down at the angry teenager. "I thought I told ya t'watch the threads, man..." He replied in a feeble tone.

Ignoring the comment, Mello continued. "What the hell are you blathering on about anyways?"

"Well, G's havin' trouble movin' uh shipment...and he left it all t'me to get it moved for 'im..." Closing his eyes tightly, the dealer continued to whine. "Awww damn! How am I gonna get that done...?"

Mello loosened his grip, so much so that the stranger stood erect, mumbling to himself about his current problems. "Fine..." he said, sighing deeply. _I don't know how I thought my plan would work anyways... _Mello decided then to stick to his original arrangement and make a living in a fair way.

Pocketing his hands, he turned to the dealer. "I've got my own problems to deal with..." With that he turned to leave.

"Waaaaaait!"

Turning back towards the stranger, Mello quirked an eyebrow.

"Dude, really, can't ya help me out sm'how?"

"H-Help you out?" Surely he must be joking thought Mello. Either that or he really was an idiot.

"Oh god please ya must!" The dealer fell to his knees, palms flattening against the concrete ground. "Please dude, I'm beggin' ya here!"

"You do realize that I have my own problems, right? I can't be bothered with someone else's stuff right now." Mello turned his back on the prostrate man. "...Damn, I really need a job," he whispered to himself.

The dealer's ears perked. _A job...? _The gears within his mind began to turn; an idea was beginning to form. He leapt off the ground, almost tripping as he came to Mello's front, grasping him by the sides of his arms. "Dude, I can give ya one if ya help me out, really!"

Mello's eyes went wide. Not only had this man caused all the air in his lungs to vanish in one second flat, but he had said the words Mello wanted to hear.

The blonde's first idea was to get a job dealing...somehow. He had decided to use his skill and charm on the spot to come up with a plan, but now he wasn't exactly sure how he would have executed it.

But this...it was all too easy.

"A job..." Mello placed his dominant hand on one of the strangers arm's plucking it from his jacket and dropping it in front of him. He did the same with the other. _He smells...SO BAD. I'm taking another bath when I get home... _"...you could get me a job...?

The dealer pulled his hands into his center, his expression similar to a kicked puppy. He nodded.

"Doing what you do, I assume?"

Again, he nodded. "Yeah, and if y'help me I'll even split m'pay with you. £600 easy for you, I swear."

Mello grinned mentally. _Perfect..._ "So all I have to do is help you with this shipment and you'll give me a job and some of your pay?"

The dealer nodded once more. "Yeah..."

Mello erupted with laugher. Now he was testing this agreement. "Really, you don't know me at all. And yet you're agreeing to give me some of your pay? Really...?"

"Dude, do you have any idea how big uh deal this is? This shipment...it's uh big thin' from Southampton. It's not such an' easy thing to move...it's where it is at this warehouse that's th'problem..."

"A warehouse...?"

"Yeah...the police got uh tip so there are eyes all over town for it. G can't move it knowin' that. And the dude who's getting' it from G'll be pissed if he doesn't get it when it was promised'ta 'im."

"I see now..." said the teenager. _Alright, so if I help this G out, sounds like I'd be made. If I really want to get a job like promised I'll have to play along with this loser for a while. G must be his boss, and I'm guessing this is a big transport job. _Mello would have to play his cards right; acting like a naïve boy and 'trusting' this dealer would mean he would have a chance of winning G's trust. Mello was 100% certain that if he showed G how he could outsmart the police, that he would be guaranteed a job.

"So will ya help me, man?"

Mello placed his fingers on his chin. _Now I make my move. _"After you answer a few questions for me."

The dealer sighed exasperatedly. "Dude, we have no time for this...are you gonna help me'er not?"

_No time, huh? Perfect. That's exactly what I wanted to hear._ Mello thought for a moment. It was now the 23rd of January; he had until the 31st to come up with the rent. _I hope this is going to work. _"Alright, alright. I'll help you, then."

"You will? Hellz yeah!" The dealer threw his arms into the air.

_He really is a big idiot..._ "You know, I don't even know your name..." said Mello. He was content in the fact that he already had an alias, which was more than perfect to use in underground affairs.

"Me?" asked the dealer, to which Mello nodded with a sigh. "Th'names Atoz, Lil' Man." The dealer took a wide stance, making a fist with one hand and raising it at the level of his eyes. "Atoz...the Destroyer!"

Mello simply stared at Atoz. _Why me...of all the people of the world...how did I get paired up with such an idiot?_ The blonde coughed once, realizing it was his track record. _That's it, no more Pokémon for Matt. I'm teaching him some Calculus when I get home. _

Speaking in a rather arrogant tone, Atoz took a suave stance, as if to impress a female. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"...Y-You really are an idiot..."

"Hey! I am not. Lil' Man's just jealous o' me." The dealer changed his position, standing over Mello to show how much taller he was than the teenager.

_Little man? D-Did he just nickname me? _This was definitely going to push at Mello's buttons. "Fine...whatever." Closing his eyes, the blonde spoke again. "My name is Mello." Opening his eyes, Mello found himself staring at a rather confused Atoz. "What?" he questioned in an infuriated tone.

"You is really uptight for a 'Mello'..."

The teenager's blood began to boil. He put his hands together, cracking all the knuckles in one hand, and repeating the same action with the other. "DON'T YOU DARE START MAKING FUN OF MEEE!"

Realizing his error, the dealer's eyes widened. "Oh shit..." he whispered before running out of the alley, Mello following close behind.

o O o O o O o

It was now Tuesday the 25th. Mello stood on the corner of Kingsgate and College Street, arms folded over his chest. He gazed down the brick road, focusing on one particular building: P&G Wells Bookshop.

_Soon..._he thought, reviewing the events of the last couple of days in his head.

Atoz had explained to him that there was a large shipment of cocaine from Columbia that had been transported to Southampton a few weeks prior. The shipment had moved to a small, inconspicuous warehouse that wasn't far from Mello and Matt's apartment, located on Hatherley Road.

He began to remember the details about the location of the drugs, and where he would be extracting them from in order to transport them to Atoz's boss.

'_Oh the Utility warehouse?' asked Mello, familiar with the building. _

'_Yeah, z'all uh it's over there. We got it all packed up in th'basement. But the thin' is someone squealed.'_

'_I see...so you can't move it without the police knowing?'_

'_Yeah, dat's right. G said that the cops have no case right now, but if we're caught movin' anythin' from that place, we're toast.'_

'_I see,' replied Mello. He hypothesized that the police had no probable cause to issue a search warrant. If someone were to be caught entering or leaving, then chances are they would have the evidence needed to make an arrest. This meant that the blonde would have to get into the building, grab the drugs and get out without anyone knowing anything. _

_Suddenly Mello had a brilliant plan. He smirked._

'_Uh...what is it, Lil' Man?'_

'_You,' said the blonde. 'I'm going to need your help for this.' He stared at Atoz with a serious gaze. 'Just...don't do anything stupid...' Letting a breath go, Mello reviewed his plan._

A beep on Mello's wristwatch brought him back to the present. He jerked slightly, looking down at the clock. _I'm glad I borrowed this from Matt..._he thought.

The watch read '3:00PM' just the time he needed to be paying attention. He surveyed the area around him, reminding himself of where he stood.

Sometime during his contemplation, Mello had sat on a brick column that served as a post to a picket fence behind him. Spindly tree branches hung high over his head, providing little to no shade from the midday sun.

The blonde stood from his seat, folding his arms once again over his chest. He looked to his left, down the brick road to the bookshop. He was waiting, waiting for any male student to emerge. And then...

A faint ringing of a bell and a door closing sounded as Mello's ears perked. A tall boy, dressed in a school uniform exited the bookshop and made his way down the sidewalk in the blonde's direction.

_Guess it'll be him..._thought Mello with a light sigh. He didn't want to get innocent people involved in his own schemes, which is why he didn't bother to tell Matt anything about his run in with Atoz. It was best to keep Matt safe, above all else.

The boy passed by Mello, once again jarring him from his thoughts. "Excuse me..." he said, making his way over to the student.

"Yes?" The boy stood still, looking towards Mello. He had a large stack of textbooks in his arms, which Mello identified as various college books.

Mello's eyes widened quickly as he realized his plans had been sabotaged, and watched as Atoz had abducted the boy and dragged him over to a nearby alley way.

The blonde looked over both shoulders cautiously, letting a small sigh go as he was glad to see there were no witnesses. He walked over to gather the textbooks that the student had dropped out of fear, and made his way over to the alley.

"I don't even want to know what you were thinking..." said Mello to Atoz, stacking the textbooks on the ground beside his feet.

The drug dealer had the student caught from behind, with a switch blade to his jugular, his other hand holding the youth's hands by the wrists at the small of his back. "What're you talkin' 'bout now? You said you needed sm'guy from that fancy school. So I thought I'd help ya out and grab 'im."

The boy within Atoz's grasp was jerking slightly from side to side, his face draining of all color. Mello looked him in the eye. He had always felt that eyes were far too honest, and lowered his head to avert his own gaze. _He's so afraid..._ "Let him go, A."

"Eh? A?" The strange dealer kept his hold on the student, making a confused expression as he tried to understand why he had been addressed as 'A'. "Lil' Man, have you already forgotten that m'name is Ato-"

In the blink of an eye, Mello had his hand on Atoz's wrist which held the knife to the boy's neck. "Did you ever think of the possibility that it's BAD to give out your real name?" He pulled the hand away from the boy's neck, continuing to speak in a dangerous, unwavering tone. "You're not to use that, understand?" Mello released his grip, pulling the blade from his partner's hand and tossing it to the ground.

The student let a deep sigh go, to which Mello smiled mentally.

"You're A now, got it?" He said while repositioning Atoz's hands onto the student's wrists, holding them behind the boy's back tightly. Once finished, Mello circled around to the student's front.

He heard the dealer mumble to himself before he began speaking.

"What's your name?" asked Mello.

The student looked to Atoz, who jerked at his wrists with a low chuckle. Turning his head back to Mello, the boy spoke. "L-Leon. Leon Trulicu..."

The blonde looked over the student. He was tall, a few inches taller than Mello himself. Leon had head of thick brown hair that was cropped neatly around his eyes and ears. He wore a navy blue blazer with matching trousers, a light blue necktie and what looked to be a black cloak of some sort.

Upon closer inspection, Mello examined a crest stitched onto Leon's left breast pocket. It bore a blue circle at its center, which encased a white shield with three red flowers positioned in a downward triangle formation. Between those flowers was an upwards black arrow, defined by two thick lines. At the top of the crest there was mitre (Author's Note: Hat worn by bishops and abbots in the Catholic Church) detailed with gold leaf. A rose-colored stole flowed out from the bottom of the mitre and was draped over the white shield.

To say the least, it was a heavily-detailed school crest. _He's from Winchester College..._thought Mello. It was a historic, well-known college, not to mention expensive.

_Seems this is going to work out after all._ In order to get into the Utility Warehouse, Mello would have to either appear as an upstanding English citizen or inconspicuous. With his blonde hair and piercing eyes, he already knew that he stood out in a crowd. He would have to go with the first idea: to look like a good citiz

For his stature and physical age, he decided it was best to look like a student from some prestigious school nearby. Winchester College was perfect, and within walking distance from his home.

That Monday, Mello had dragged Atoz to the corner of Kingsgate and College Street by the Wells bookshop, which was at one corner of the campus. It would be the best place to scout out possible candidates similar to Mello's height and build. He would nab one of the students; talk him into borrowing their uniform and books and have the perfect get up.

Atoz would be following closely behind Mello for back up as the plans were put into motion. Even if the dealer was completely brainless, he would be beneficial if Mello needed a little extra muscle.

Though, Mello's plan didn't play out exactly how he had wanted, but, he would just have to work with what he had now. "So, you're from Winchester College, right?"

"Y-Yes, I ahm..." nodded Leon nervously.

Mello paused a moment in thought. Until now, whether it was coincidence or not, he hadn't heard anyone speak with an English accent before. Atoz...well, the blonde wasn't sure what kind of accent he spoke in, but it certainly wasn't English.

Matt didn't have an accent as far as he knew. And Mello himself spoke without any discernible accent, only because it had taken a great deal of work to suppress the inflection he'd once had in the past.

"He's gonna need your clothes, dude..." laughed Atoz. Mello shushed him afterwards.

Leon gulped. "M-My clothes?"

Mello looked at Leon, giving him the smallest indication of a smile to calm him. "I just need to borrow your uniform and books for 24 hours. If you meet me here this time tomorrow you'll get them all back and we walk our separate ways."

Leon's eyebrows furrowed together as he began to weigh the pros and cons of agreeing to this proposal. He sagged once he came to his conclusion. "Al'ight..."

"Let him go, A," said Mello.

Atoz threw the student to the ground, laughing as if he had been the one to outsmart the boy.

The blonde pulled at the sleeves of his jean jacket, looking down at Leon. "We're switching. Off with them."

o O o O o O o

It had been a few hours after running into Leon, and now Mello stood in a full Winchester College uniform. He hadn't wanted to switch clothes to be honest, but it had been part of the plan. The blonde only wished his clothes would fare well with that student...he wanted them back now more than anything.

As ratted as they were, they were his clothes, comfy and worn only by him. Well...not anymore.

Now he stood on the sidewalk, decked out in what looked like a full suit with a large black cloak draped over his shoulders. Mello looked himself over a moment, a terrible thought coming to mind. _Great...I look like I stepped out of Hogwarts..._

Mello began to review what had happened after Leon had left for Atoz and him to scheme.

'_Here', said Mello, handing an opened textbook to his partner._

_The drug dealer looked completely clueless. 'What do ya want m'tah do with this?"_

_The blonde went over to the end of the alley and gathered the aforementioned switchblade, handing it to Atoz. 'What did you think I was going to stuff the drugs in, anyways?'_

_Atoz blinked several times._

_Growling softly, Mello swiped the knife out of the other's hand, opened one of the textbooks and stabbed it into the middle of the pages. _

'_What...are ya doin'?'_

'_I need something to hide the drugs in, not just on my person. Just luck that this kid had a bunch of books.' _

_Mello grimaced. He envied Leon. His parents were rich and could take care of any needs he would ever have, which meant buying a few new textbooks would be no big deal. _

_Gritting his teeth, the blonde pulled the blade towards himself, making a deep cut into a couple hundred pages. He pulled the knife out, stabbing perpendicularly to the last gash, dragging the blade towards the first cut._

_He stopped a moment, rubbing his forehead with one arm. 'Get it now?' he asked, looking towards his partner handing him the knife._

'_You're uh smart one, Lil' Man.' Atoz took the knife, mimicking Mello's actions with the book in his lap._

_Mello was fortunate to know that Atoz was good with menial, physical activities. A couple pokes at that book with a knife had already drained Mello somewhat._

Back in the present time, Mello stood on the sidewalk of Hatherley road, walking down the street, calm and collected. He had a stack of several textbooks in his hands, each which had been tailored by Atoz. The large square holes in each book would be the perfect way to hide bags of drugs.

Speaking of Atoz, Mello didn't know exactly where he was. If something were to happen, however, the blonde was sure he would find the gangly dealer somewhere nearby.

Mello only hoped that he had enough space in each book for the large amount of cocaine. He was already prepared to make more than one trip, but multiple trips could result in being caught. He would do what he could.

Mello was a few houses away from the Utility Warehouse when he noticed a black car parked in front, with thick tinted windows. _It's the police, I'm sure of it. I should have guessed that they would be staked out here. _The unmarked car...it was an immediate tip off to Mello. Again, days since past talking with L paid off now. He knew exactly what to look for when most others wouldn't notice such details.

To appear oblivious, Mello opened one of the textbooks a few pages before the hole inside, and began reading. The book read: "Algebraic expressions occur often during problem solving. For example, the B747-400 aircraft costs £5276 per hour to operate. The algebraic expression 5276_t_ gives the total cost to operate the aircraft for _t_ hours. To find the cost to operate the aircraft for 5.2 hours, for example, we replace the variable _t_ with 5.2..."

Mello could hardly believe it. He was posing as a fool. He closed the book, gazing at the name on the cover: 'Intermediate Algebra' The blonde wanted to laugh, but instead opened the book back to the same page. _For a college student, Leon's not that smart._

Being from Wammy's House meant that Mello excelled in academics and math was one of his strong suits. He dabbled in Calculus, but found that basic mathematics were better suited for his daily needs. Looking over something like Algebra, though, made him laugh a little in his mind. He hadn't done such problems in years.

He was mere yards from the Utility Warehouse. The building looked exactly the same as the neighboring structures; only by knowing the address was he able to identify it. Mello began to think. He stopped, quickly looking up from his book across the street. The blonde assumed a worried gaze before standing at the front walk of the Warehouse.

A car door slammed shut as a tall man exited the car parked in front. Mello assumed that he was to keep an eye on all activity passing through the area in front of that building. "What are you doing around here, kid?" He asked sternly, standing a couple feet from the blonde.

Mello averted his gaze a moment. He looked back into the car, surveying its interior from a different angle than he had before. Tinted glass was hard to see beyond, but at the right angle one could see through it quite well. _Perfect...there's no one else inside. _

"Um..." said Mello in a hushed tone, looking towards his feet a moment. He decided to speak in an English accent himself, in order to blend in as much as possible. "I saw someone suspicious looking ove' there..." Raising a hand, the youth pointed across the street to a house.

"Really...what did you see?" asked the man. He spoke flatly; definitely not English born.

_Well you're going to come in handy again, A. I'm sure you're nearby, and I'll have to believe you're good at avoiding the police, too_...thought Mello. "A mahn, a tall thin mahn lurking a'ound the building there."

"What did he look like?"

"About 6 feet tall I guess...he's got shahggy hair and he's wearing a big blahck trench coat." Mello shifted uneasily to one side, making his discomfort obvious. Talking in an accent was trying, but needed.

"Alright, kid, you stay here and I'll go check it out." With that the man turned to lock his car. "And don't..." he looked Mello in the eye. "...don't go into that building right there, ok?"

"Yes sir..." he added compliantly.

The adult turned with a soft grunt, making his way across the street to investigate.

Mello smirked as soon as the man's back was to him. _That was _too _easy..._ He turned to face the Utility Warehouse, looking back over his shoulder. The man from before was nowhere to be seen.

It was time to act.

o O o O o O o

At first glance, Mello hadn't been sure if the Utility Warehouse had been abandoned or not. From the street, the building still appeared operational, but from the back it was quite obvious.

After many vain efforts to pry the back door open, the blonde found a window low to the ground. He examined it for several minutes and found that it bore a hairline crack at its center. With a careful amount of pressure, Mello managed to break the piece from the rest of the pane and push it through to the basement below. He heard a subtle crash of glass afterwards, which Mello was sure wasn't loud enough to bring attention to himself.

The calculating blonde repeated this until he had created a hole large enough to crawl through. Mello thought a moment on what to do first, deciding to toss most of the textbooks into the hole. They fell with muffled thuds, the crackling sound of glass following after. He placed the remaining couple of books under a nearby shrub to be used as props for later; in case he encountered a police officer again, Mello could show that he was simply studying, as long as the cop didn't examine his books, that is.

Now it was time for the blonde to venture in himself. He sat on his rear when ready to proceed, extending his feet first into the opening. Shoes slipped in fine but the rougher edges of broken glass tore at his trousers. Not about to give up, and now quite stubborn, Mello pushed the rest of his body in, not before long landing feet first into the dark abyss, a cloud of dust wafting up from where his shoes had made contact with the floor.

Mello winced with a grit of his teeth, ignoring the sensation burning its way up one thigh. His stubbornness had not only torn at the borrowed uniform but also left a nice long cut up his leg. He was sure he was bleeding by this point, but decided to disregard the feeling until he was a safe distance from the building.

He waded through the shadowy place, the window he had scooted through providing little light in aiding him through this new territory. Stumbling on one of the textbooks, Mello thought it best to gather them in a pile before locating the supply of cocaine. Once finished he began to search.

Atoz had mentioned previously to Mello that there were many boxes in the Utility Warehouse basement. The correct box would be heavily covered in tape. A few moments of looking through boxes, Mello had located the right box, ripping though the adhesive strips. And sure enough, there was the cocaine held in several large plastic bags.

_Bingo! _

Without wasting any time, Mello ran to grab the textbooks and began to fill each.

o O o O o O o

It was now well past sunset. Mello huffed slightly, exhausted from the day's work. After exiting the Utility Warehouse, the blonde had dusted himself off, gathered his books and dashed through a neighboring backyard. Once he was a block away, the blonde had let a large breath go, thankful to get out safe and sound.

As confident as he was in his own abilities, Mello hadn't realized until that moment how scared he had been of the entire situation. If caught...oh, he didn't even want to think of the possibilities. It would have been a domino effect.

Before long Atoz had come up and asked Mello how everything went. He assured the dealer that it all went well, and then gave him half of the filled textbooks, keeping half for himself.

Reviewing the last conversation with Atoz assured Mello that he had made the right choice in splitting the textbooks.

'_Why are ya givin' these tah me, Lil' Dude?'_

'_Don't you have a brain in your skull...? It's insurance.'_

'_Wuhdooya mean?'_

'_If I have half, and you have half, then neither of us get what we want. It's to make sure we don't short-change one another since we're in this together.'_

'_...Ahh...I see...'_

The hardest part had been completed. Tomorrow Mello would meet with Leon and return his ruined uniform and books. And then he would meet with G and hand over the drugs.

Turning a corner, Mello found himself on Andover Road. He was yards away from his apartment and so glad to be home. Stumbling in through the door, he dropped the books near the coat nail on the wall, kicked off his boots then crawled to the couch.

He lay there a moment, heaving an accomplished sigh. _I did it..._he thought.

"Mattie..." he groaned. "Can you help me? I can't get up..."

There was no reply.

Sitting up slowly Mello repeated his partner's name again. "Matt? You here?"

A creak from the front door told Mello just where his friend was. Matt entered the apartment, locking the door behind himself. He sighed gently, dropping two large brown paper bags to the floor, wiping at his forehead with one hand. "Damn...what a killing I made..."

"Matt?" Tired blue eyes quickly regained their energy, staring at the redhead utterly confused. "Y-You went out by yourself...again?"

"Yeah I was really hungry...I didn't want to wait for you to come home with food and stuff. So I-" Before Matt could finish his sentence, he found himself staring at Mello. "Uh...Mello?"

"Yeah...what?"

"...what's..." he let out a nasal snicker. "What's with the bathrobe?"

The blonde blinked a few minutes, looking down at his attire. He was still dressed in Leon's college uniform, cloak and all. His face colored, not out of embarrassment but out of anger. "Don't you start with me, Matt!"

Matt tried to stifle his laugher, coughing in the process. "Really though," he pointed towards his friend. "What are you wearing?"

Mello wasn't sure what to say. He stumbled over his words, looking away once he had twisted his tongue into many knots. Finally coming up with a reply, he said, "I've had a long day, ok?"

"Fine, fine..." sighed Matt, realizing that questioning Mello wouldn't get him an answer. The gamer slipped out of his shoes then gathering the bags and heading for the kitchen.

"Hey wait," said Mello. "What the hell did you get?"

Matt turned. "Some food..."

The blonde sprang out of his seat, standing in front of the gamer with a fierce glare plastered on his face. "How much money did you spend on all this stuff?" Fingers trailed over the contents of the bag, pulling out one of the items.

Mello stared at the package in his hand. It was a small blue and silver bag with the title, 'Super Noodles, Chicken Flavor' splayed across it. He looked up at his friend with an odd stare. "What are these?" he asked, having never heard of such a thing before.

Matt blinked. He shifted uneasily as Mello glared at him. "Instant noodles..."

"Why'd you get so many of them...?" Cobalt eyes intensified their glare on Matt, waiting for a reply.

"They were really cheap...only 10 pence each." (Author's Note: 10 pence is equal to £0.10, 10 pence is about $0.16)

The blonde's face went blank instantly. He looked at the bag, then to Matt. "...Really?"

Matt nodded. "I only spent £3. Really..."

Mello blinked a few times, dropping the bag of noodles into the brown paper back. He turned, going to sit back on the couch. "...Really?" he asked again.

The redhead giggled, relaxing. Mello wasn't mad, just stupefied. "Yeah, really, Mello."

Matt went to the couch, dropping the bags at his feet then sitting next to his partner. He pulled one of the noodle bags out, presenting it to Mello as if he had never seen it before. "See?" he said in a cheerful tone. "You cook it on the stove with water. I think it's a lot better than what we've been eating. And it's really cheap!"

"I see..." said Mello, looking the bag over again.

"Um...Mello?"

"Yeah?"

"...Why didn't you buy these in the first place?"

The blonde stared off into space. Why hadn't he thought of the possibility of there being other sorts of instant foods to buy for himself and Matt?

"They're really cheap, too. I mean, I got a lot of them because this lady at the Tesco (Author's Note: Popular supermarket in the United Kingdom) let me have a sample of them and I was really hungry. They're really good! So I thought I'd get a lot of them since they were so cheap."

"I um..." said Mello. Between all of his plans of getting a place to live, a job and whatnot he really hadn't researched what sort of foods they could live off that would be reasonably healthy and cheap.

"And the store is right behind us on the other side of the street here. You said you always go somewhere else to get our food...didn't you know there was a Tesco over there?" Matt placed the instant noodles back in the bag thoughtfully. "I thought you walked around town all the time...you'd think you'd notice a big store like that."

Mello really didn't know what to say by this point. He had been taken completely off guard. _Really..._he thought. _Why didn't I think of this myself?_ Mello internally smacked himself for being so stupid, but in turn was grateful that he didn't have to eat crap for meals anymore.

_I wonder how they taste..._thought Mello, his stomach growling quietly.

Matt had proven himself this time, but even so, Mello wasn't about to let his pride be dragged through the mud.

"So why didn't you get these before?" Matt stared at him imploringly.

The blonde stood from his seat, exiting the room. He thought it was the best time to bathe, seeing as the cut on his leg felt dried and painful.

Before Matt could question Mello's actions, he heard his partner bellow out a reply. "I DIDN'T BUY THEM BECAUSE THEY TASTE LIKE SHIT AND I'M **NOT **WEARING A BATHROBE, YOU STUPID GAME NERD. SO JUST LEAVE ME ALONE BECAUSE I'M TAKING A BATH NOW!"

o O o O o O o

Wednesday, January 26th; 5 days before the rent was due. It was midday now and Mello stood at the corner Kingsgate and College Street, waiting for the English student to show his face.

Mello woke that morning with a steely determination. By the end of the week he was getting his rent money, one way or another, even if he had to take Leon hostage and make his parents' pay ransom.

Last night he has emptied the drugs out of those books and placed the bags into his suitcase for easy transportation. In one of Matt's grocery bags he placed Leon's books and uniform. Both the bag and suitcase sat at his feet currently.

Because Mello's only pair of pants and shoes was with Leon, the blonde had borrowed Matt's. He wretched at the thought of knowing somewhere in a small apartment in Winchester there was a crazy, redheaded gamer running around without pants.

"Excuse me," said a familiar voice.

Mello looked up to see Leon dressed in a long black coat and pants.

"You, I saw you here before, correct?"

The blonde grabbed the brown grocery bag and held it up to the student. "Take it. Don't look inside. Take it, turn around and leave."

The college student looked dumbfounded, until Mello's words seeped through his mind, and then took the bag.

Mello stared at him a moment. "You never saw me, understand?"

Leon nodded.

"Now go," leaning forward to grasp the handle of his suitcase, the blonde turned to leave.

"Thank you..."

Mello paused in stride. He turned a quarter to the left, looking over one shoulder at the innocent, feeble-looking Leon clutching the brown paper bag tightly. He gave the smallest smile in return, and then made his way down Kingsgate to find Atoz.

o O o O o O o

The scent of chemicals and smoke filled Mello's nostrils. He wasn't completely sure if it was the smell of the car he was in now or not. He had been told to cover his eyes before getting into Atoz's car so as not to know where they were going. The blonde had complied, placing his palms over his eyes.

_He's really, really stupid..._thought Mello._ To think I can't tell where we're going if I just think about this like a map in my head. Just have to jot down the lefts and rights._

Mello really didn't care where they were going; he knew well enough it was to see G and deliver the drugs. He was relieved not to be bound and gagged, or worse, he could have been stabbed or shot by Atoz for the drugs and left for dead.

It was comforting to be with such an idiot, because he really didn't think much on his own.

The screeching of tires rang out as Mello was thrown against the door of the car. He grunted as his balance evened once the car finished turning a corner.

"Sorry, Lil' Man," said Atoz.

"Whatever..."

Atoz looked over to Mello, then focused his eyes back on the road, grinning. _Perfect..._thought the dealer. _I have all uh th'drugs. G's sure tah promote me now. And this kid...heh, G'll probably have 'im taken care of for knowin' stuff he shouldn't. _It had all been too easy, a super easy way to lure Mello in; his knowledge and determination had served Atoz well, but Mello's worth had all but dried up.

Soon he would be gone without a trace. There would be no cops to come asking because there would be no evidence.

Atoz grinned again. He had won. _Lil' Man, you're th'one who's th'fool._

o O o O o O o

_When did I get here? _Mello thought for a moment, his eyes covered by something black that shielded out the light. Thinking back on the ride there, he realized that he had fallen asleep.

Once the car halted, Mello went to open his eyes, but they were quickly covered by a leather-gloved hand. He was escorted out of the car, with something poking him in the back, something rough and solid; Mello deducted that it was a gun. He monitored his breathing, keeping it as calm and rhythmic as possible.

"Ok," said a deep voice.

The sensation of smooth leather and the nose of the gun left him and he sighed. Mello peeked out past his eyelids, artificial light filtering in uncomfortably. He blinked several times before opening his eyes completely.

Mello looked up to observe his surroundings. Dark grays painted the walls of a square shaped room. He didn't have to look down to know that the ground was made of concrete, smooth but uneven in some spots. One naked light bulb hung from the center of the ceiling, providing light only in the center of the room.

_This looks a lot like a garage..._thought Mello.

"Who's the brat?" The voice that said this was different from the one he had heard before. It was gravely and without an English accent. If anything, it sounded more American: flat and nasal.

Mello grimaced, giving the man an intense glare in return for his comment.

The man grinned, chuckling in his throat.

He was a stocky, well-dressed man sitting in a leather armchair, rolling an unlit cigar between his fingers. The man looked to be middle aged, not quite 60 yet, but perhaps in his late 50's. Clad in a maroon suit, the adult gave off the air that he held a great deal of power.

_This must be G..._thought the blonde.

Behind the large-build man stood two tall, thin men who wore black suits. They appeared expressionless, similar to guards outside Buckingham Palace. One of them must have escorted Mello in, noting that they both wore leather gloves.

Questioning where Atoz was, Mello looked to his right and left. Another guard-looking man held the dealer with his arms secured behind his back

Atoz laughed nervously to himself as another guard walked in with Mello's suitcase, presenting it to G. "I told ya I had a plan, G..." said the dealer, chuckling.

"Shut him up..." said G. The guard restraining Atoz kneed the dealer between the legs, letting him fall to the floor when finished.

Atoz groaned as he fell. From the look of it he was unable to move much after making contact with the concrete.

_This is getting bad..._thought Mello, a bit nervous now. He started to wonder how he had found himself in such a situation.

It had all started with the promise of money...Mello needed money. It wasn't for greed, but to pay the rent; to continue living on his own; to prove to the world he could rely on himself; to show that he wasn't weak. He needed that money to keep going; to find Kira; to prove that he was number 1; to beat Near.

For all of that, he needed money.

He looked up at G who chuckled. _No..._The determined blonde gritted his teeth, holding his jaw firm. _Not like this...it's not going to end like this. _Mello's face changed suddenly. His arrogance had returned in an instant, eyes intensifying to a deep blue hue.

"Eheheheh," cackled the boss. "What's this? Got something to say?"

Mello didn't hesitate, and kept glaring.

He laughed again. "You got spunk." G redirected his gaze to Atoz who was still in a heap on the floor. "...Something _you_ never seemed to have."

The injured dealer rolled onto his back, huffing. "I can change G. Just gimmie th'chance to. I got th'drugs like I said ah would." He took in a deep breath before continuing. "Y'said you'd gimme another chance if ah did this for ya..."

G scoffed at him. He looked back to the glaring blonde, while leaning forward in his chair, handing his cigar to one of the men behind him then lacing his fingers together. "You," he said. "That lump over there told me you helped him do this, right?"

Mello nodded once.

G sat back in his chair, cackling loudly. He clapped a few times before leaning forward again. Snapping his fingers once, he had one of his men grab Mello's arms and hold them at the small of his back, bringing him closer to the boss.

G smirked, extending a hand out to grasp Mello's chin, turning his face a few times, while examining it thoroughly.

Mello wanted to turn away, wanted to bite at the fingers touching him. But he didn't. Instead, he let his eyes do the talking for him, glaring down the man who dared to lay a finger upon his body.

The boss's grin deepened. "You thought up the idea to get that shipment. Interesting..." Turning Mello's face forward, he brought his own closer. "I'd be a fool to let such a brilliant mind go to waste. Considering none of my own men even got close to that place after it was known and the police moved in."

The blonde swallowed. His currently feelings were confused, but maybe, just maybe things were starting to turn around.

"What's your name?" asked the boss.

"Mello."

"Mello...heh, nice name." Letting go of the youth's face, G sat back in his chair. "Well, Mello, I'm Gryerman, Mason Gryerman. Call me G."

Mello nodded.

"Would you be interested in working for me?"

The sound of shoes scraping along pavement could be heard as Atoz struggled to stand up. "Nooo!" he yelled.

Gryerman looked down at him with the quirk of one eyebrow.

"Y'can't, G. Ya said y'clear m'name."

"You've got too much against you. I was hoping you'd get nabbed by the cops by now. But here you are crawling back as always." G raised a hand, signaling his men. "You're done."

Two suited men came towards Atoz, picking him up by the arms and moving him out of the room. The dealer thrashed wildly, screaming as he was swept away. "No, no! Y'can't, G. You were gonna promote me! Don't do this!"

"Atoz, you were always such a punk. You never fit in well with us. We're a family, here, and you were always the black sheep." Gryerman closed his eyes, one twitching in annoyance. "And I know you're the one who squealed about the Southampton job."

"No! You're wrong! It wasn't me! It wasn't, G, I swear. Y'gotta believe me!" The slamming of a door muffled Atoz's screams. Before long, the room was silent again.

"So where were we?" Gryerman asked rhetorically, holding his arms out. "Oh yeah...You. So would you want to work for me? I could really use you as a transporter."

Mello froze. The promise of a job, a good paying job was quite tempting.

Sensing his uncertainty, G snapped his fingers, summoning a man who came up to the boss with a silver briefcase. He unlocked the case, revealing a few stacks of money. Gryerman picked up one stack, counting the papers until he came to the number he desired. "I see you're not sure about working for me. Here," he said, holding up the counted stack. "£700 for the job you did. It's only a percentage of what you'd be making."

His eyes widened. _That...right there...that stack of money is for me?_

G watched as Mello's face lit up, chucking to himself while grabbing another stack and counting it, adding it to the first. "You make me laugh, kid. For that I'll give you a little more as insurance. £1,000 and you work for me."

Mello wanted to jump up and dance around, maybe pinch himself a few times. He had to be dreaming by now, still sleeping in Atoz's car. Something. This couldn't be real life.

"What do you say?"

The guard let Mello's arms go. Gryerman signaled Mello with his eyes that it was ok to come close and take the cash from his hands. He extended his arm out to the blonde, who timidly came closer and took it.

Gryerman sat back in his chair, laughing quietly to himself. "Excellent," he said. "You're new name is M. Come by this building tomorrow and we'll talk. The safe word to get in is 'pineapple' so don't forget it."

Mello sighed, nodding in agreement. His chest heaved with a nervous excitement. _I really did it..._he thought. _I finally got a job._


	4. Chapter 3 On My Own

**CHAPTER 3- ON MY OWN**

How was it even possible?

Mello could hardly believe any of it as he began walking home.

His suitcase had been returned to him lighter than it had been previously; instead of drugs, it now contained his compensation for a job well done. £1,000. Mello had exactly £1,000 to his name now.

His new boss, Mason Gryerman, had offered to have a car take him home, but the youth had refused. Chuckling to himself, the older man called upon one of his men to give Mello directions on how to get back to his apartment, once supplied with the street and cross street.

It was now evening. The second successor made his way down the sidewalk, only a few blocks from his home. Mello turned back to look at the setting sun which gleamed brightly throughout the skyline, streaking the atmosphere with deep oranges and purples. For a moment he stood there, eyes transfixed on the beautiful sunset. This moment felt surreal, yet calming to him.

A small breeze brought him out of his daze, pushing his hair behind his ears. Mello turned back to the sidewalk before him, continuing home.

When he got to the stoop of his apartment, he could hardly contain himself, shaking a little before he could open the door. An intense nervous excitement ran through him, the likes of which he had never felt before. Inserting the key and then turning the knob had been a daunting task, but soon the door was open and he went inside.

Kicking off his shoes and placing his jacket on the hook, Mello walked through the living room, then the dining room into the kitchen where he found Matt sitting at the kitchen table, leaning over a pot of food, sucking and slurping up noodles.

He waved at Mello with a small grin. "'helkhum hohm..." said the gamer with a mouth full of food. After swallowing, he repeated his last words. "Welcome home."

Mello stared at him a moment, unsure what to say. His face showed a plethora of emotions, which resulted in a nervous looking smile.

"Mello, you ok?" asked Matt, eyebrows expressing his confusion.

"I...I did it Matt..." Mello sat the suitcase by his feet, raising his hands up near his face, looking them over intently. He felt slightly crazy in that moment, and thought he probably looked like some sort of serial killer who had just 'done the deed'.

Looking over to a confused Matt, Mello realized he couldn't hold back any longer. He jumped into the air, yelling with joy. "I did it! I got a job!"

Green eyes went wide as the gamer's mouth fell open. "No...no way..."

"Yes way, Mattie!" Feet back on the floor, the blonde grabbed the suitcase, slamming it down on the kitchen table where it made the broth in the pot of noodles almost spill over.

He quickly opened the case, grasping the stack of money inside. He held it up to his face a moment before putting it near his companion's eyes. "£1,000, Matt. We have £1,000!"

"Oh my god!" said the redhead, taking the money into his own hands. He stared at it for a moment before counting it to make sure Mello had not been short-changed. "Dammit...you're right. Exactly £1,000!"

Mello smiled excitedly, taking the stack of money out of Matt's hand, placing it on the table and then bringing his friend out of his seat. The blonde jumped up and down, encouraging Matt to do the same by putting their hands together.

Matt complied, laughing happily as the two rejoiced.

"We got the rent, we got the rent!" said Mello

Matt nodded his head. "Yeah! Oh maybe we can start buying some better food...like meat!"

"And maybe some more clothes!"

"Or some new blankets to sleep with, too!"

The couple began to talk amongst themselves of all the great things they could do with the extra money. That evening, they decided food was the best place to start splurging.

Mello searched a few different places that would deliver the food to one's home and decided on Domino's pizza. He placed an order online for 2 large pepperoni pizza's, with soda and breadsticks. After 30 minutes or so, the food arrived at which point Matt took it into his possession and stole away into the kitchen like a crazy raccoon.

Mello chuckled, paying the delivery man then running after his friend. "Don't eat it all..." he said, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.

Matt sat at the table with one pizza box propped open, two breaksticks hanging out of his mouth.

The blonde stared at him in disgust.

"Whaaat?" asked Matt.

There was no way Mello could get angry that night. His expression softened to amusement as he began to laugh and came to sit next to Matt.

He ripped the bag of breadsticks away from the gamer, who had been holding onto them for dear life. "I bought it, so it's mine," he said in a happy tone.

o O o O o O o

By the end of the night, only half of one pizza was left. Because there was no refrigerator, the remaining food sat on the kitchen table, where it would most likely be consumed the next morning.

Matt and Mello sat together on the couch together. Matt had his old laptop from Wammy's out as the two watched different videos on the internet to pass the time.

"That was really good food..." said Matt with a contented sigh.

Mello smiled. "Glad you liked it, Mattie."

Matt returned the expression.

"But you know..." Mello stood from his position, folding his arms over his chest as he began to circle around the room. "We can't always eat like this."

The redhead sighed in defeat. If it had been up to him, they would eat nothing but pizza from now on. "I know..."

"I'm serious, Matt. Tonight was for celebrating but it's not always gonna be like this." He stood still a moment, collecting his thoughts. "I'll be paying the rent tomorrow, so we'll be good until the end of February. But I'll be working now to make sure we won't have to worry about the rent again."

The gamer sighed. It had been a weight off his shoulders to know that they would be able to stay here in this apartment, their first home. Matt hadn't wanted to mention his anxiety over that issue to his partner; Mello had enough things on his plate to deal with at the time. Even now he didn't want to say anything about it.

Fearing the worst, Matt had left the apartment a few days prior, walking the streets of Winchester in order to overcome his fear of the outdoors. Going out to get supplies for Mello's birthday cake been easy for him, but, thinking back on it now, he wasn't entirely sure why.

It had taken a great deal of willpower to find his way to the Tesco earlier that week and go through the aisles, looking at food that was too expensive to buy. But suddenly his luck had turned around and Matt had stumbled upon Super Noodles. The price was a steal; he had to get them.

That event only served as positive encouragement towards overcoming his fear; of course Matt still didn't like going outside, but he wasn't as opposed to the idea now.

"I know you'll be working..." said the redhead sighing. "Sorry...I haven't been able to find a job yet...but," he looked up at Mello with a gloomy face. "But...I'm trying..."

Mello came over to his partner, patting him on the head. "I know, Mattie. I know. You'll get something soon, I'm sure of it."

"You really think so?"

Mello nodded.

"Ok..." said the gamer, sighing exasperatedly. "I'll keep looking."

"Good. We'll need another paycheck to get some other things around here, at the moment I'd like to buy a fridge..." Mello began to trail off in thought, not talking to anyone in particular. "And Kira...I haven't looked into anything about Kira yet..."

"Uh Mello?"

He looked down at the redhead. "Yeah, what is it?"

"...Why were you wearing that bathrobe again?"

The blonde twitched with irritation. "It wasn't a bathrobe..."

"Ok, ok..." Matt put his hands up in defense as his partner moved closer, blue eyes darker than ever. "I just wanted to know why you wearing that..." Looking Mello over, he realized he had his old clothes back. "What was all that about anyways? Was it for your job...?"

Mello cleared his throat. He didn't want to share the details of his new occupation with Matt, at least...not for now. He thought it best to keep Matt in the dark, and also so he wouldn't have to worry. "Yeah...it was for my job."

"So what's your job?"

"Uhhh Matt...I er...uh..."

_Mello...what is it? _The redhead began to process his friend's actions. In all the years Matt had known the blonde, he had only lied when it concerned his health or well-being. In all honesty, Mello was a stubborn son-of-a-bitch; he never liked to admit when he was sick or injured. Likewise, he was also a bad patient and didn't like to have others take care of him.

Mello was looking away from Matt now, playing idly with the rosary that was always around his neck.

_Something's up...I know it...but..._ Matt decided not to press the question further. Pestering Mello would get him nowhere.

Sighing, the redhead admitted his defeat. He would have to wait until Mello was comfortable enough to tell him. _Jackass..._thought Matt. "Eh, it's fine. You'll be getting paid a lot, right? That's all that matters..."

"Heh, yeah. My boss told me that my pay from today was only a fraction of what I'll be making." The blonde pulled a 180 in demeanor, smiling brightly as he sat next to the gamer.

"When do you work next?"

"Tomorrow," said Mello. "I'm not sure how long I'll be working yet or what days, so I don't know when I'll be home."

"Oh...alright then."

"So Mattie, I'll leave the money here with you to get food for us. Anything cheap still ok? I think there'll be..." Mello began to do a few calculations in his head. "There should be about £430 left after the rent and food from tonight. Just keep it cheap, ok?"

Matt nodded. "Ok, can do."

Mello smiled.

_Mello...there's something wrong. I hope you'll tell me soon._

The second successor stood from his spot on the couch, throwing his arms up and back in a stretch. "I'm wiped after all that...I'm gonna turn in now, 'kay?"

"Alright. I'll be in there in a bit."

"Ok." With that the blonde left the room.

Matt sighed. Finally he was alone, which meant he could think better without Mello by his side. It was hard not to worry when his friend kept so many things inside. _Why do you have to do this? Just tell me...I'm not that hard to talk to...am I?_

"Mattie!" said Mello from another room. "Since we have extra some money, I'll be able to spoil you a little on your birthday now! Don't plan anything that day because I'm going to be doing something special for you!"

"Heh alright..." answered Matt, somewhat nervously.

_My birthday..._Matt closed his eyes, his heart beating faster at such a thought. He strove to fight off a memory that was in the back of his mind. A sinking feeling set in the more he didn't want to think about it. _I'll...I'll be fine. I'll be fine._

o O o O o O o

"_Mail...Mail come here! It's ready!" A maternal voice spoke softly._

_The redheaded youth padded through a familiar dwelling, heading for the kitchen. He sat at a small oblong table, seated in front of a plastic placemat._

_Looking towards the stove on his left, he saw a tall woman who stood at the front of a gas range, stirring two pots of food. After a moment she turned, placing a dish on the placemat in front of the small boy. He looked up at her, her facial features completely blurred. However he didn't seem to mind, and smiled._

"_I hope you like it, Mail. Happy Birthday," she smiled back at him, a sweet, full smile._

"Mom!" Matt heard himself scream as he shot out of bed. Sweat dripped down the side of his face as he looked around the small bedroom. Hands searched to the left of him for Mello, but found nothing. Turning, Matt looked down at the empty bed. He looked to the floor where his laptop was. Opening and turning on the device, he found the date and time: 2/1/05 10:16 AM.

_My birthday..._he thought with an aggravated snort. It was the date that Matt has been dreading since a few days ago when Mello had reminded him of it. _Great...and Mello's already gone out to get food..._his mind whispered. Matt placed the computer on the floor, staring blankly at it for a moment.

At 10 AM every morning, Mello would wake himself up and head out to get breakfast for the two of them. Mello would be home shortly, which meant that the redhead would have to get up and start the wash for his partner.

This was to ensure that Mello had fresh clothes for the long day ahead. After coming back and eating, he would go to his job. With all the snow and dirt Mello trekked through each day, it was necessary for him to have freshly laundered clothes.

Though on this particular day, Matt didn't wake. He assumed his dream had kept him from noticing Mello leave the bed, or that Mello hadn't had the heart to wake him that morning.

_But why...why didn't he wake me? _thought Matt. He knew that Mello would complain if his clothes weren't washed, and rightfully so. Mello had at most a couple of shirts and one pair of pants. At least, Matt thought, he could borrow a pair of his jeans again since they wore the same size. Walking around without pants on had proven fun.

Bending both legs at the knee, Matt curled into a ball, arms tight around his shins. He wanted to cry after that terrible dream; he felt so alone. He wanted Mello to hurry back home so he didn't have to feel this way.

Since the first day Matt had come to Wammy's he had abandonment issues. Once attached to Mello and Near, he never left their sides. Near though...well, Mello had decided to leave Wammy's in lieu of working alongside Near as the new L.

Matt didn't want to leave, but something told him that Mello needed him. Mello would have been out on his own, all alone with no one else to rely upon. Near had Roger, and Linda and all the other orphans to protect him. He would always have a room and food. Mello, however, would have to work and sacrifice in order to have either.

For that Matt decided it was best to go with Mello. He still regretted leaving Near alone, and made a point to contact him weekly through e-mail since the day he'd left. Matt thought it best not to tell Mello; at least, not for the time being.

Matt looked to the door of the bedroom, realizing he had fallen back onto his pillow. He felt a little less lonely huddled to himself under the warm covers.

Thinking a moment, the gamer attempted to recall what he had dreamt about. Matt believed he was much younger in the dream, and was in a house, somewhere very familiar to him. A voice called out and he went towards it. A warm, comforting feeling washed over him as he thought of his dream. But he wasn't sure exactly what had happened, who the owner of the voice was or even where he had been. It had been a nice, but unsettling dream.

The slam of the front door was audible through to the hallway, drifting into the bedroom; Mello was home now. Matt jumped out of bed, dressed and headed for the washroom, starting the laundry he had neglected until now.

Before Matt knew it, he had hung the laundry to dry on a clothing line in the washroom and sat down to eat. Breakfast was far from routine causing the gamer to feel even more out of sorts than before. Typically, the two would share breakfast, and then Mello would soak in a warm bath before heading out to his job. But today, there was something unsettling about the routine; it didn't feel right.

_Mello's job..._Matt still wasn't privy to the details of Mello's employment. But it had been nice not to have to worry about money for the time being. Mr. Peterson, their landlord, had already been paid for February's rent. It was comforting to know the two would be staying there, at least for another month.

But now the pressure was on Matt to get a job. Mello wanted to start saving money, and to buy a few other things they would need, namely a refrigerator. Such a thought only added to Matt's stress that day.

So many things seemed to rub him the wrong way. The moment he had woken up that day he had felt so alone and wanted to see Mello more than anything. But somewhere between the laundry and breakfast, he'd done a 180 and hid from the blonde in the washroom after eating.

Once Mello had left the bathroom to dress, Matt had rushed into the water closet (Author's Note: Another phrase meaning bathroom), locked the door, stripped and got into the tub. If anytime after that Mello had said goodbye, Matt never heard it.

The redhead leaned over the side of the porcelain tub contemplating events of the entire day. He didn't know what to make of anything that had happened, deciding to sort his thoughts from breakfast earlier.

'_Matt' said Mello smiling gently. The very thought of Mello bearing such a calm expression worried Matt. It wasn't often that he saw his friend smile so sincerely. On any other day, perhaps he would have welcomed the expression. But today, it creeped him out._

'_What?' asked the redhead, nibbling on his breakfast idly._

'_What do you mean what?' he said, in a soft but irritated tone. That was more of the Mello that Matt was used to. 'You know what today is.' Blue eyes looked at the gamer sitting across the table from him._

_Matt looked down at his food. After such a rude awakening not to mention a confusing dream, he felt out of sorts. He knew what today was, but didn't want to admit it._

'_Hellooooo...' said the blonde. 'It's your 15__th__ birthday, moron.'_

'_O-Oh...' he replied, looking away from Mello._

_Mello stood, popping the rest of his food in his mouth as he came to Matt's side. He raised a hand, dropping a fist on the crown of his partner's head, not enough to hurt but enough to jar his thoughts. 'Dummy,' he said. 'I've made plans to be home a little earlier than usual. Then you get your gift, 'kay?'_

_Matt looked up. His head pulsed after the impact with the side of Mello's fist. It didn't hurt, but he could distinctly feel the impression of a hand on his head. 'Okay...' he added feebly._

_Mello said nothing afterwards and Matt made sure to avert his eyes. Before anything else was said, Mello headed for the bathroom and Matt for the washroom._

"Damn..." said Matt, angry with himself.He wanted so much to just curl into a ball and disappear.

"What's wrong with me today...?" he questioned, looking around the room as if one of the four walls would answer.

He didn't want to feel this way; especially not today. Not on his birthday.

_But...I...I really..._

Sitting straight up, the redhead drew in a breath, slipping under the surface of the water. Bubbles trickled out of his nose as he strove to hold his breath. He came up for air after a little with a splash, sloshing water beyond the edges of the tub.

Reclining to the back of the tub, Matt began to evaluate his dream. He dove into the depths of his mind. Deep...deeper...deeper still...

"_Do you like it, Mail?"_

_The youth looked down at the plate set before him. Steam wafted up from the dish of spaghetti noodles topped with thick red tomato sauce and a few sprinkles of parmesan cheese._

_Smiling, he took a fork into his hand. He stabbed the fork into the pile of food, swirling it a few times with childish precision, spilling some sauce on the placemat. Removing the fork, he examined the swirled noodles, dripping with rich sauce. He opened his mouth, stuffing the concoction in, chewing quickly._

_The warm sensation of tomato and garlic rushed over his taste buds. There weren't so many spices in the sauce as much as there was an overflow of vegetables, sautéed until it practically melted in one's mouth._

_Swallowing, the young redhead nodded several times. "Uh huh. I love it, Mommy."_

_She smiled. "Happy 8__th__ Birthday, Mail."_

Matt bolted upright in the tub, water spilling onto the floor. This time he wasn't sure why he'd been brought out of his dream so rudely. His senses were heightened by something, something loud that had woken him from his slumber.

He looked around the room, realizing he had fallen asleep while in the tub.

Sitting back, he felt much better than before. Every detail of his dream could be seen through his mind's eye.

"Mom..." he whispered quietly. Before, Matt had felt as if his soul had been forcibly pulled from his body and returned incorrectly, like placing a round block into a square hole. Now he felt right, a little melancholy, but somehow ok.

He just wanted...wanted so much to see her again so much. But-

"Oh son of a BIIITCH!"

Matt shook, smacking his elbow on the side of the tub. _Mello..._he thought. _He must have screamed like that earlier and woke me up. _Nursing his pained elbow with one palm, Matt stood up, reaching for a towel to dry off.

After drying himself and dressing, the redhead looked around the apartment for his companion. He noted that it was rather dark outside, meaning it was at least past 5pm. In the winter months, the sun always set around 5 o'clock.

A light from the kitchen told Matt where to go. He stood at the entrance of the kitchen, watching his friend.

Mello stood before their rickety old stove, tending to boiling pots of something. Sleeves were rolled up and he had his hair pulled back with an elastic band. Looking to one pot, he squeaked in surprise, running to grab a pair of oven mitts from a far countertop. Rushing back, he grabbed one pot that looked ready to boil over. Mello took the pot over the sink, pouring the contents into a colander.

Matt had to assume that he'd spilled some of the hot water on himself as he dropped the pot into the sink, jumping back with a loud exclamation.

"Hee-YAAAAAAH!"

The gamer stepped backwards in response to the crescendo of noise created by the blonde, tripping on his socks and falling onto the floor.

Mello, who had grabbed a towel and placed it on the affected arm, looked down to see Matt. "Wai-whu...what are YOU doing HERE?"

"I was...I um..." Matt wasn't sure what to say, shaking as he spoke, having had the figurative crap scared out of him.

Mello made his way over to his friend, standing over him. "Out now!" He urged, pointing towards the living room.

"But I uh..." Getting to his feet, Matt looked to his friend, searching for what to do. "I was just worried that you-"

"You get out now!" Mello turned Matt away from him, pushing the younger boy into the living room then rushing back into the kitchen, yelling something incoherent afterwards.

Matt stood by himself, examining the grain of the hardwood floors. "Geez..." he said in a quiet, whiny voice. "Don't yell at me on my birthday..." He sagged a little, going to sit on the couch.

Leaning back, he decided to close his eyes for a moment, listening to the sounds of Mello cooking something. _What's he cooking exactly?_ Matt thought.

"_I'm glad you like it," she said, sitting in an empty chair across from him._

_The youth consumed the food as his mother sat with her elbows on the table, watching her son eat happily._

_There was a knock at the door just then. A look of panic overcame her features as she reluctantly stood from her seat, going to her son. "Now, you just stay here, Sweetie, and eat your food." Patting him on the head, she made her way to the door in the other room._

_The boy put his fork down on the plate, sitting perfectly still as he listened._

_A gruff voice erupted as the door creaked open. There was a quiet mumbled conversation that followed, one sentence exclaimed loudly at the end. "Why didn't you get the bread like I asked you?"_

_A smack and something hitting the floor rang out as an argument began. The curious youth got up from his seat, inching towards the wall nearest the front room. Large green eyes peered over the edge of the wall to see what was happening._

"_What the hell am I going to eat for lunch now? You know I always have a roast beef sandwich," said a large burley man. He stood over his wife who was knelt on the floor, holding her cheek with one hand, sobbing. "What am I gonna eat now, huh?"_

"_I-I'm sorry. I was so busy with Ma-"_

"_You were busy? Hmph..." scoffed the large man. "You always have an excuse, you filthy-"_

"_Stop...please..." said the woman, getting to her knees. "Mail's in the other room. Please, don't do this..."_

"_SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU!" screamed the man, slapping his wife across the face. She landed facedown into the floor, crying as her face made contact with the carpet._

"_MOMMY!"_

"GAAAAH!" For a third time that day, Matt bolted up, almost smacking his face into the coffee table that was set in front of the couch.

He heaved a sigh, grasping at his chest. Until now, he never understood why people would grab their chests heaving and coughing. It all seemed so cliché...but now it seemed to make a lot of sense.

Mello emerged from the kitchen, standing at one side of the couch. "You ok?" he asked.

Matt looked up at him, sweating profusely. "Y-Yeah...I'm ok."

Mello's mouth curled in many different formations before he sat next to his companion. "If you say so. Well...I'm done," he said with a sigh.

Matt sighed, drawing in a slow breath to calm himself. In all his hysteria, he let his mouth run before his brain could process any information. "Done with what?"

"You moron. Done cooking."

"Cooking?"

Mello raised a hand, punching Matt in the head as he had earlier that day. "Idiot...cooking for you. Dammit...would have been a lot easier to get carry out. I'm not that good at cooking. But it should be edible."

Blinking three times, Matt looked at the blonde as if he had grown another head. "Uh..."

"Mattie, what's with you today?" asked the blonde rhetorically. "Well I made you your favorite: spaghetti."

"O-Oh..." said Matt in surprise.

The blonde looked down at the hands on his lap, playing with his nails idly. "Since we left the orphanage, I've been so stuck on getting a job and all. And even though I have one now, we've been roughing it. I really..." he paused, trying to remember his initial thought.

"Once I got the money, I really wanted to make you a nice warm meal. We've been eating crap for the longest time. And I thought..." Mello made sure to shield his eyes with his thick bangs.

"I wanted...to make you something good for your birthday." Mello lifted his head, eyes closed as he tried to smile softly. "So I hope you'll like it. It's your favorite, after all." Opening his eyes again, Mello looked to his friend.

"We'll eat then I have a present to give you. I'm sure you'll like it," he added, smiling again. "Heh, Happy Birthday, Mattie."

"_I hope you like it, Mail. Happy Birthday."_

Matt sat on the edge of the couch; shoulders slumped inwards on him, shaking with loud sobs. He sniffled as he took in a breath, shaking more than he had beforehand.

"M-Matt...what's wrong?"

The redhead fell into Mello's chest, grabbing onto him as he cried.

"Matt..." said Mello, wrapping his arms around his friend. "Oh Mattie...why are you crying on your birthday?" The blonde moved against the back of the couch to sit more comfortably, cradling his crying partner against his chest. "Mattie...please be happy."

The gamer couldn't seem to help himself. He cried so much; Mello reminding him of his mother. He began to remember things that day that he had long tucked away in his mind, things that he just didn't want to think about ever again. Mello had unconsciously brought those thoughts to the surface, which meant Matt had to face the music and deal with such horrible feelings.

All the same, Matt was happy. He was happy to know that Mello had gone to such an extent to please him. It was obvious that the blonde had struggled to make a good meal, for one burning himself in the process.

Soon he was sure he would stop crying. Soon he would be wiping his eyes on his sleeve while Mello pet him on the head, telling him to be happy and enjoy his special day. He would scarf down Mello's cooking, even if it didn't taste like his mom's. He would later be opening a present from his best friend, something he was sure to like.

_But Mello..._thought Matt, continuing to cry. _I don't want any of that. _The redhead failed to describe what he was thinking. He didn't care for the present or the food even.

All he wanted, all he had ever wanted was to be loved. And Mello gave him just that; it was just the present he wanted.

o O o O o O o

Something had to be up; Matt was 100% certain by now.

The gamer sat in bed next to a sleeping Mello. Earlier that day, he practically had a nervous breakdown on his friend. The blonde comforted him, only asking for Matt to be happy in return.

Feeling indebted to his friend, Matt had downed some of Mello's homemade spaghetti. It had tasted nothing like his mother's, but he made an effort to eat it as if it had been the best thing he had ever eaten before. This was because of all the work Mello had put into the dish. It was still good, just not Mello's best work.

The dinner alone would have pleased Matt, but it was just like Mello to go the extra mile or in this case a few thousand miles. As promised Matt received a gift, but not any old gift.

Matt had ripped into the wrapping paper that covered a large box to reveal a brand-new laptop.

He sat with it in his lap now atop the blanket of their bed. The gamer had already begun to transfer files from his old computer, all the while wondering why Mello had purchased it for him. He thought back to their earlier conversation.

'_Is...is this what I think it is?' stammered the redhead._

'_Yeah, you've been complaining about your computer for a few weeks now. So I thought I'd get you a new one.' The blonde stood over the birthday boy, eagerly reading words off the box. 'See, it's a Dell Inspiron. It's supposed to be a lot more heavy-duty than your other one. So if you drop it, which I know you will, it's supposed to resist breaking.' He paused a moment. 'Oh! I also got you some other stuff, like a wireless mouse and a webcam.'_

_Matt swallowed his shock. 'Wow, thanks Mello!' he said, feigning happiness._

It wasn't necessarily that he wasn't happy with his gift, on the contrary. It was more the idea of how expensive a gift it was. Laptops usually ran anywhere from £1,000 - £3,000 (Author's Note: Approximately $1624 - $4872).

Matt had to consider a lot of things. Mello had been paid for his first job on the 26th of January and today was the 1st of February. Counting today, it had been 7 days since his last paycheck of £1,000.

This meant that sometime in those 7 days that Mello had earned, for lack of a better phrase, a butt load of money. _Honestly...how can someone make that much money in only a few days? _He looked down at Mello. _Either you're stealing or hooking...I hope to GOD it's not the second one..._

Mello shifted a little in his sleep.

_Really Mello...What are you hiding from me? _It was more than enough to make Matt suspicious. He wanted to know what Mello was up to, but he dare not ask. He decided to leave such thoughts for another time.

After all, he had a friend who had been generous enough to get him a nice new computer. The redhead had to revel in that fact, if only a little.

o O o O o O o

Matt's birthday had come and gone in the blink of an eye; already a little past the middle of February. The redhead sat at the dining room table as he usually did when Mello was out at his job, browsing idly through web pages.

He had all but given up getting any sort of work by this point, exhausting most possibilities for internet jobs. Matt didn't want a normal job, mostly because he didn't have the skills for such occupations. He didn't have good people skills, nor did he think he would be good serving tables, taking orders or sweeping floors.

Matt had a photographic memory, which would have been good for taking food orders and such; it was a skill that was something in his favor. However, he knew he would be much better suited for anything involving computers, gaming or electronics. An internet job, such as a position in technical support would be perfect, if only someone would hire him.

He sighed, deciding to think of something different. _Near..._his mind whispered. _It's been such a long time..._He decided to check his e-mail just then. Since leaving Wammy's, Matt vowed to keep in contact with the albino by e-mailing him one a week. Near complied, replying to each message sent. Though it was a poor attempt at how things used to be, it was important to Matt that he talked with Near as much as possible. After all, they were still friends.

Luckily for Matt though, Mello didn't bother to have e-mail, which meant the blonde wouldn't accidently stumble upon Matt's inbox. He didn't want to tell Mello that he had been talking with...well, his rival. At first, the gamer felt guilty. But with all the secrets Mello had been keeping over the last few weeks, all his remorse seemed inconsequential.

"Ah! He replied!" Matt promptly opened the message. It read:

'It is nice to hear that you are doing well now. You said your new computer has webcam, correct? If so, I would like to have a video chat with you at your convenience. However, you said that Mello would be out for the next few hours, so I propose that we do it within the next 15 minutes, if it alright with you. Reply with a yes or no soon, please.'

"Sure," said Matt, clicking on the 'Reply' button.

After sending the reply message, Matt plugged in his webcam, placing it on the top of his monitor, adjusting it so that the camera was at the best angle. He sat in front of his computer screen, making funny faces as he waited for Near to arrive.

A soft ping from his computer alerted the redhead that Near was on. A window popped up, showing the albino sitting at a desk, twirling a lock of hair in his fingers.

Matt's mouth went dry a moment. He wasn't sure what to say.

Smiling slightly, Near nodded his head in greeting to his estranged friend. "It's good to see you look well." He stated, a small amount of relief in his quiet voice. Even though Matt had told him that Mello and he had been doing fine, Near thought that it was possible Matt just didn't want him to worry. Seeing his suspicions put to rest made the young genius feel at ease.

Matt chuckled softly. "Heh yeah, I'm good. We both are." It was odd, but nice to see Near again. Matt felt much calmer now. At first, he hadn't been sure what to say. Near's initial comment benefitted the conversation greatly; without him, Matt would have sat there like a bump on a log.

The third successor watched as his white-haired friend began to play with a toy robot that had been left for him on the desk. Dark set eyes shown on the computer screen, intently observing everything on Matt's end.

_Seems they have a decent apartment..._thought Near. He knew from the start of all of this that Mello had asked Roger to give him his inheritance. Yet how they were able to pay for the apartment was another matter. Housing cost quite a bit, meaning that at least one of them would have gotten a job. Due to the fact that Mello was presently not in the apartment with Matt, Near concluded that the blonde had been the one to have a job, or at the very least looking for one.

"I'll assume that Mello's absence means he's found a job?" He asked the red head, while twirling the little robot around the desktop.

Matt blinked. It had been a while since he had bared witness to Near's superb deductive abilities, but it was good to know they were never lacking. "Yeah, you know him well. He's out at his job. Won't be home until sometime later tonight."

The redhead chuckled nervously, scratching at the top of his goggled head with one hand. "It's really good he's not here now. I'm sure he'd pull a fit if he knew what I was doing. But Mello aside, I'm really glad to see you again, even if it's just like this."

A very light smile touched the albino's lips. It felt good to know that he'd been missed by his friend. "Have you found a job, yourself?" He asked, ever straight to the point. Taking in Matt's appearance on the webcam probably meant that he hadn't, yet it would be impolite to say something like that.

_...Now I'm starting to remember how it was being around him and Mello. God, why do they know everything about me?_ Matt chuckled in his mind. It was quite refreshing to hear Near's monotone voice; the same voice that used to ask him many different questions while clinging to his black and red striped shirt.

"Yeah," replied Matt. "I don't have a job. I've been looking, but nothing's come up. I really want..." he paused a moment, staring at the desk. "I want to help Mello. He wants us to start saving up money, but the only thing I've been able to do so far is laundry and eat up all the food he buys. I don't want to be a burden to him..."

Near pulled himself back from the webcam, gazing at the sorrowful look on the elder boy's face. "How about you work for me?" He proposed point blank.

Evergreen eyes went wide at the offer.

"As you know my hacking skills are lacking; yours far surpass my own. I have several cases that are already lined up for me. Roger has announced me as the new L in order for me to get my 'grounding' as he called it." Neatly he placed the robot to the side, his hand returning to his curled lock of snowy hair. "You, of course, would be compensated for helping me gather the information for the cases."

"Wait...what? Work for you?" Blinking a few times, the gamer couldn't believe his ears. _Work for Near...could I really?_

The redhead began to weigh the pros and cons of such a proposal. He found it quite amusing that if he accepted Near's terms that he would essentially become a double agent, working for both Near and Mello. "Really...work for you...but...how would you pay me? I dunno about this..."

Lips quirking upwards in his eerie smile as Near assessed his friend's reaction. "You have a bank account from Wammy's. I can wire the money directly to that. It would be a normal way to be paid so not to make Mello suspicious." His eyes shifted away from the flabbergasted youth in front of him.

Near began looking at his current case, which required a skilled computer technician to hack into the private life of one of the C.E.O.'s of Microsoft Corporation. "I even have a case on file for you; you could start immediately and get paid by the end of the week." He added blandly, a faint memory coming to mind.

Near looked to his right to the windowsill in his room. Matt used to sit there sometimes, gazing out at the sky idly as he waited for Near to finish a puzzle or something of the sort. Those memories...they began to flood his consciousness as he spoke with his once close friend. He attempted to keep his emotions at bay, not to let on how he was feeling.

Sitting back in his chair, Matt began to heavily consider the offer. Fingers combed the hairs on the back of his head as he began to process everything Near had said to him. _Near's right...if the money were deposited directly into that account, it wouldn't be so obvious to Mello. In fact, Mello would want me to keep my money in a safe place, and it's already a secured account._ "Gotta say..." started Matt. "It's really tempting. But I...I don't know. There's something that feels wrong about this. Would you be paying me with money earned from solving the case?"

"Of course, you would be doing half the work. Your information gathering along with my deductive reasoning skills; so the pay would be split." Near paused, thinking for a moment. "You won't have to verbally converse with me for every case. In fact you needn't really. I'd be able to send you the information through your email. I also assume that Mello does not really care much for email and does not have one, correct?"

Matt nodded.

"Perfect. This will keep him from possibly walking in on you having a conversation with me. I would also send you the information about the case through an alias, one that Mello doesn't know so that if he does see you at work or checking your email then you won't be caught." This situation was a perfect way for Near to keep an eye on the two of them, knowing that if Mello's job fell through then they would at least have a source of income. He wanted to be of help to them, his once dear friends, even if Mello didn't want the help.

Curling his small finger around his ivory hair, the albino youth watched Matt's face change, going blank for a moment which usually meant he was thinking about something. He knew the gamer would agree to the proposal; all he had to do was wait.

Matt stared at the screen a moment, noticing the very subtle up turn of Near's lips. _He's arrogant as ever...and I don't even know what he's being arrogant about. Since when can you piss me off like Mello does anyways?_

Matt sighed. He wanted a job, wanted to be independent, wanted to be of help to Mello, and to Near. It seemed that his younger friend wasn't going to take no for an answer. And Matt thought that he shouldn't either. Accepting meant he would be in better contact with Near, the crime world, and improve his hacking abilities. It had been a while since he had hacked anything, since before L's death even. With a gentle sigh, he nodded. "Alright, I'll do it."

A small nod and Near's smile turned into a more "u" position; he was pleased. "I'll send the file to you now then. The alias I've chosen is Ryan McGuther. So be expecting an email from that name in a short while." Accessing the alias account he forwarded the message to Matt's email, disguising the topic information as "McGuther Cooperation's". He knew Mello had prying eyes since he was always on the lookout for something to come jumping out of the shadows; he needed to make sure that anything he sent Matt's way was well disguised.

"Um...alright then," said Matt, scratching at his scalp out of nervousness. He never thought his face-to-face meeting with Near would go so well, nor did he ever think he would get a job out of it.

Matt nodded, "Thanks, you're really helping me out a lot." He smiled gently at his friend. There were many things he wanted to say in that moment, 'I'm sorry for leaving' coming to mind. Instead, he hoped this small token of appreciation, his smile, would convey his feelings. While smiling, however, Matt started to wonder if his white-haired friend would understand the gesture or not.

Near's head moved to the side slightly, accepting the thanks, yet at the same time confused. Smiles could mean many things; usually though, if he remembered correctly when it came to Mello, that meant that he had been tricked or something of the sort. Knowing Matt wasn't the type to act so frivolously, he took it as a gesture as a thanks.

The door over to the left of Near rattled as Roger entered the room, a man in a dress suit in toe. Obsidian eyes flickered back to the screen, looking to his newly hired hacker. "I have to go now, Matt. I'll talk with you later." He bowed his head politely waiting for the other to return the farewell before closing the laptop.

Matt promptly turned off the webcam, sitting back in his seat. His mind swirled with many thoughts. He now had a job, working for Near of all people. Working on cases for the new L meant that he would be nicely compensated for his work.

This also meant that he would have a leg up on information that Near had, and also the latest information in the crime world. He could help Near reach his goals, and also aid Mello by bringing in some money himself.

Everything was starting to fall into place neatly. Soon they would have a fridge, probably start to eat a little better, and maybe have some new clothing. God only knew how worn Matt and Mello's attire looked.

Matt looked at his monitor. His inbox shown '(1)' meaning he had a new e-mail. He tapped the cursor a few times, chuckling at the sender's name: Ryan McGuther.

_I guess it's time to get to work._

The redhead rolled up his sleeves, opening the message. It was time to start working towards his goal, towards Mello's and also Near's. He wanted to be strong for them and he wanted to do his part, and this was the only way he knew how; he would strive to rely on himself in the hopes of one day making his friends happy.

There was sure to be a long road ahead; long days of overtime poured into work. But in the end Matt knew it was worth it.


	5. Chapter 4 Down to Business

**CHAPTER 4- DOWN TO BUSINESS**

March graced the two geniuses with much warmer weather than the previous month. The sun was absent for most days, but on weekends it peeked through the gray and graced Winchester with its presence. A large percentage of the snow had already melted, which made Mello happier than usual; the blonde had a generous helping of the 'white shit' as he called it and didn't need any more.

As for everyday life, Matt and Mello maintained a steady routine of work. Their lives improved greatly because of this. For one, they now had a fridge, chock full of food. Matt was most happy by this fact, meaning he could buy frozen pizza rolls or even pudding which were some of his favorite snacks. More money also meant a larger food budget, and Matt was more than grateful to do the grocery shopping.

The fridge meant most to Mello, though, who kept a special drawer for his chocolate bars. It was labeled with a white sign adorned with thick letters written in black marker that read: MY CHOCOLATE, DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT, MATT! Mello was picky about the temperature of the bars and made a point to keep them from melting at all costs.

Food aside, life was becoming a normal routine. Mello would wake and leave for work when the sun rose and come home well after it set. Matt, on the other hand, would crawl out of bed whenever his bladder protested. He balanced both work for Near and household chores during the day.

Today was no exception.

Mello woke early that morning, checking his watch to make sure it was the correct time. Neon blue numbers glowed back at him, reading: 7:45 AM. _Perfect, _he thought, shuffling out of bed.

He reset the alarm on the digital time piece, attempting to scratch at the skin underneath the plastic band soon after. He disliked digital watches: both the look and the feel, they didn't hold the same appeal as a normal wrist watch; but this watch had been a necessity for work. It sounded a soft enough alarm not to stir Matt, but was close enough to Mello's ear to wake him in the morning.

Mello dressed, pulling on a simple black hoodie and dark-wash jeans, new additions to his wardrobe since getting a job. The blonde ran his fingers over the cotton hoodie, smiling gently to himself. He was pleased that his efforts had paid off, giving him and Matt the opportunity to live much better than before.

He exited the bedroom, closing the door behind himself before making his way to the kitchen. Mello looked through the fridge, grabbing an orange and placing it in the hoodie pocket. He attempted to close the door, hesitating before he could. Blue eyes gazed at the chocolate drawer with a melancholy gaze. "Dammit..." he whispered, grabbing one bar from the drawer. He went into the front room, pulling on his shoes before leaving, making his way down the sidewalk.

The sun was starting to glimmer with a brighter light than moments ago; faint streaks of orange and pink began to dissipate. Mello walked at an even pace, grimacing as he felt the cool bar of chocolate against the backs of his hands in his hoodie pouch.

He stopped walking then, pulling the bar out with one hand, gazing at the wrapper. It was a purple label with the words 'Cadbury' presented in gold cursive letters. A faint memory came to mind as he examined the confection, turning it over to skim the ingredients list idly.

'_Take this. It should be of help to you.'_

_A young Mello looked down at what he held in his hands. Turning it over, he saw that it was a candy bar of some sort. He squinted, attempting to make out what the label said, but failed. He couldn't read it. 'What is it?'_

_L turned to him, chewing on one of his thumbnails. 'It is a __chocolate bar__,' he said. 'I have observed that when people are sad...mostly when females are sad, they will consume copious amounts of chocolate. Hypothetical, it will increase one's serotonin levels, in short making them happier, but I have yet to find any proven information to back up this claim…'_

_Mello blinked, rubbing at his eyes with one sleeve, hoping to clean away the tear stains left on his cheeks. He had been crying, but couldn't remember why. 'Oh...' he said looking away. 'I'm not sad...' he grumbled, staring at the floor._

_L smiled gently, bending forward to pat the young boy on the head. 'That is just what I thought you would say. Very well...' he added, turning Mello to face him. 'Then you will just have to keep it for when such a time arises.'_

_Young Mello pouted, looking the teenager in the eyes. 'Okay...'_

It had been a long while since Mello had enjoyed this particular kind of chocolate. Since L's death he had consumed only a few chocolate bars, but nothing from this specific brand. He wanted to eat it, craved it as one craves drugs. But he couldn't bring himself to eat it, the memory of his late mentor hanging over his head.

Mello could feel his chest tighten at the mere thought of L. Most likely L had died while in close proximity to Kira, all evidence considered. Matt, Mello and Near had been following the case closely and knew of every major step L had taken in order to vanquish Kira. To the three successors, it was more of a lesson than a case, a means in which to train the young geniuses who knew that by the end of it L would emerge victorious.

_But...that never happened..._thought Mello, looking down at the sugary snack in his hand. _L...Kira...I'll... _A lump began to form in the back of his throat, choking him. Teeth gnashed together as Mello felt tears well in the corners of his eyes.

Suddenly the blonde had a revelation, his short memory from earlier falling into place. He looked at the chocolate a moment, remembering L's words. "...When the time arises..." Cerulean eyes narrowed before he ripped off the paper label, unfurled the foil and placed a corner of the chocolate to his tongue. The sweet, smooth taste of cocoa and milk overwhelmed his taste buds. Closing his eyes, he snapped off a chunk of the bar as if in defiance.

_Kira..._he vowed silently. _Know this...by the end, after all my hard work...I will see you dead._

About an hour later, Mello had made his way to G's headquarters: an old, abandoned-looking warehouse which was located at the other end of town. He went to the back of the building, ever mindful of his surroundings. Once certain that he had not been followed or noticed, Mello came up to a large metal door, rapping on it three times.

The door opened a crack, a shadowed figure appearing. "Yeah?" asked the figure.

"Pineapple. It's me," said Mello, his hands pocketed.

The door opened fully, allowing Mello to enter. He walked through the threshold, down a corridor until coming to the center of the building faced with another door. He stood before a rather crooked wooden door, placing his hand on it gently before entering.

Blue eyes squinted, adjusting to the light inside. The sound of billiard balls clicking together could be heard over a clamor of voices, mostly cursing and laughing. Silence ensued as Mello closed the door behind himself, hinges creaking loudly as he did so.

The room was large and dark, hardly lit by an old Tiffany fixture suspended in the center of the ceiling. Below the light was a pool table, where the owners of those voices were gathered. Each pair of eyes turned and focused on the young boy.

"Heh, look who decided to show up and ruin our game," said one nasal voice.

Mello bowed his head to the older men. "Sorry, Ace. Just came to talk with G. Please, carry on."

The owner of the nasal voice propped his pool cue at the side of the table, running a hand over his slicked hair, grumbling. "Yeah, yeah…" said Ace, less than amused.

The blonde kept his gaze low as he walked across the room to the boss's office. All eyes were on Mello until he entered the office, closing the door.

"Little punk…" Ace said in a low voice. He was a tall, thin man, somewhere between 35 to 40 years of age. He was G's right hand man, a nasal sounding fellow who always seemed displeased with the status quo. Despite his horrid disposition, he dressed well, donning a crisp black suit and leather shoes. The first two buttons on his collared shirt were unbutton, pulled back to expose a sliver of his tanned chest.

He ran a finger on the underside of his nose before positioning the cue in his hands again, and setting up for another shot. "Just a brat… an' he comes in here like he's somethin' special. It's all G can talk about."

Billiard balls clicked together as voices began to murmur, adding to the subject.

"Isn't he 15 or something?" asked one voice.

"Yeah see? He's just a brat," added another.

"Dammit, Roy, get out of my way!" Ace yelled, pushing one man to the side before heading to the other end of the table. Once there, he propped his cue against the edge of the table. Reaching for the ash tray, he placed a previously lit cigarette on his lips, taking a few puffs in frustration. "We need'ta do something about 'im…"Fingers ran over the slick black hair, smoothing any loose ends into place.

The tallest of the bunch walked to Ace's side. "Why don't we…y'know…" he said, eyes indicating something malicious.

"Not yet, Neal." Ace threaded the shaft of the cue between his middle and index finger, preparing a shot. The white ball rolled towards the black eight missing its target. "Just wait. I've got a plan. Just you wait, you little brat."

o O o O o O o

The inside of G's office was a stark difference to the lounge where the pool table sat. While the lounge looked run down and blank, the office space was well-sized, filled with paper stacks and books. It was cluttered but somehow organized. Bookshelves covered three walls of the room, a desk at its middle with a large armchair. One smaller chair sat at the head of the desk, which was Mello's current position.

"So," said the older man, drinking in the scent of his cigar. He turned in the armchair, getting a better look at the front of his office where the blonde was sitting. "You got all'a that?"

Mello nodded before answering, jotting down a few more words on a college ruled notebook. "Yes," he said as if speaking to a teacher. "So you own 3 of the main ports in the Eastern Ports of Southampton, along with use of several other ports through various agreements…"

"Yeah," grunted the man with the smallest upturn of his thin lips. "If it gets to America from 'ere, chances are it's been run past me, Kid."

Mello's eyes were wide with childish amazement. "Wow, you're pretty powerful around these parts then."

The old man chuckled. "Yeah, that's right. Took me a long time t'get to this point. Had to mess up a lotta guys, but now I'm top dog."

Mello grinned. _Well, I'll have to do the same. I'll need power, lots of it…and men to command. I'm still calculating a plan for Kira, but I think this is gonna work just fine for now. _"Well then, I'll just have to do the same as you."

G chuckled loudly; the cigar almost fell out of is mouth. "You crack me up, Kid. And y'remind me a lot of myself when I was your age."

Mello's grin increased in size as he closed the notebook, tapping his pen over the cover. "Heh, I'll have to take that as a compliment, won't I?"

"Heh, yeah." Gryerman looked down at his wristwatch, clearing his throat. "1 already? Hm. Alright, back to business. Can't keep the men waiting for their deliveries." He skimmed over the papers on the desk until coming across the correct one. "Ah, alright. There are a few here today." He reached over the desk, handing the paper to his youngest worker. "All of 'em by 6 today, M."

The youth read over the names, locations and orders. "Understood," he said, standing up then giving a slight bow to his boss. He walked to one corner of the office, setting the notebook and pen down and then grabbing an old knapsack. "6 you said?"

"Hm, yeah."

Mello opened the door, giving a backwards glace to G. "I'll have them done by 5." With a smirk he closed the door behind himself.

G laughed heartily, organizing his papers with a few shakes of his head. "Some kid…" he thought aloud.

o O o O o O o

Matt rubbed his eyes with a yawn as he sat up tall in bed. Throwing both arms up towards the ceiling he exhaled, scratching at his scalp as eyes opened and focused upon their surroundings. "I'm still tired..." he said in low voice to no one in particular.

He looked down at his wrist, trying to focus on the blue LED numbers on his digital watch. It was now 1 o'clock. "Oh yeah...I forgot I napped after I went to the bathroom."

Shuffling out of bed, the red head grabbed his clothes from their position on the floor, a red Mario T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans, pulling them on. Once dressed, he cracked his neck a few times before picking up his laptop and moving into the dining room.

First thing he did was check his e-mail. A new message in his inbox meant a new case, considering the sender: 'Ryan McGuther'. The message informed Matt of a new account which required information concerning recent bank activity of a well-known Yakuza boss. With a laugh, Matt said, "I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing that name on an e-mail from Near..."

Releasing a light sigh, the redheaded hacker cracked his knuckles, preparing to work. He read over the e-mail once more, committing the important parts to memory. Once finished, Matt tapped one index finger over the keys a few times before hands raced over the letters, sending a reply to Near before getting down to business.

Matt reviewed the case information in his head: Kensuke Yamaguchi. Age 57. Blood type AB. Leader of the Azuma-gumi Japanese Yakuza based in Nishinari-ku, Osaka. General expenses consist of Monte Cristo cigars, Yachts and American woman. Azuma-gumi, a known yakuza gang, but in recent years laid low.

Recent bank transactions were needed in order to prove a hypothesized bribe between Yamaguchi and Japanese government official, identity not given; Near labeled him as One. One and Yamaguchi had a long standing relationship, exchanging various sums over the years that involved drug trafficking and prostitution.

"Alright," said Matt. "Let's get started!"

The hacker's face bore no emotion as he began to concentrate, working quickly and efficiently. He began by cracking a few passwords of the target's internet accounts, bypassing security and rewriting a few programs here and there, all the while typing at the speed of light.

It seemed like no time had passed at all once Matt had all the information he needed, transferring documents and saving them in encrypted folders on a spare hard drive he had attached to his laptop. Once finished, he removed all traces of his work and exited with a sigh.

He sent the information to Near soon after and smiled, pleased with himself. _Best way to make a living! _With another light sigh, Matt looked to his watch which read 4:17. "What the...that late already?" Looking around the empty apartment for a moment, the redhead heard his stomach growl. "Yeah didn't eat eheh..." he laughed nervously, leaving his seat to move into the kitchen. "I wonder what I'll cook for dinner tonight."

o O o O o O o

Mello let out a sigh, jogging towards a public restroom at the end of a park in Winchester. _Gotta get out of these clothes quick for the next job. I don't want to be late. _The blonde darted into a stall, dropping the knapsack to the ground as he removed his clothes.

Mello was a transporter. This meant he had to deliver smaller orders of drugs to the customers. It would be too obvious if Mello was seen around town, dressed as he always was, delivering small bags of white powder. For this problem, he recycled the idea used previously with Atoz and the college student.

Fingers combed the yellow tendrils into a ponytail, pulling a wig cap over his head. To that, he added short black wig, fluffing the hair out once secure. Mello completed the outfit with a pair of distressed dark wash jeans and a graphic t-shirt. Patting at his pocket, he made sure the bag of cocaine was there before packing up his clothes, exiting the stall. Glancing at the mirror in the bathroom, he smoothed his shirt and checked that his wig was on correct, leaving no blonde to be seen.

Mello made his way back to the park, finding a vacant bench. Dressing differently meant he would assume new mannerisms and decided that something akin to Matt's behavior fit his appearance. He sat down with a sigh, stretching his arms, depositing the bag at his feet. He plopped on the bench, knees almost a yard apart.

_4:30,_ thought Mello, examining his watch. _Should be any minute now._ He closed his eyes, observing the sounds around him. It wasn't long before a pair of shoes sounded near him, the patent leather clopping distinctly against the sidewalk that snaked around the park.

Blue opened, meeting with the sky above him as someone sat next to Mello, reading over a folded newspaper. He glanced at the man, his expression showing astonishment, but this was an act. _Jason Nettle,_ he thought. _That would make number three and my last transport of the day. _

The two sat together for almost 10 minutes. In this time, Mello and Jason had begun to chit chat about the weather and the appearance of the park. Jason placed his newspaper between the two, smiling as he stood. "It was nice talking to you, boy."

"Yeah same."

Jason walked off, heading out of the park.

_Alright then, last part of this job. Then I can go home. Matt…I hope you cooked something. I'm really hungry. _Mello could feel his stomach churn air as he rose out of his seat, grabbing the newspaper. "Wait sir!" he said, running over to the man. "You forgot this…"

"Oh! Thanks," said Jason, carefully taking the newspaper in one hand. He cradled the bottom half of the pages, slipping the plastic baggy out into his palm, concealing it with the newsprint. "I must be getting old and forgetful…" The man laughed.

"Haha," chuckled Mello. "No problem, sir. Take care." He gave a slight wave to the man, heading back to the bench to collect his bag.

_Ah finally…_he sighed internally. _Now I can get out of this outfit, go back to G's, write up the inventory for today's jobs and go home. I really hope Mattie made something good for dinner…I rushed through all those jobs to get them done before 5 that I forgot to each lunch. _Warily, Mello made his way out of the park, headed for his boss' headquarters.

o O o O o O o

"Gah…another long day…so much for getting home early to eat…" Mello shuffled through the front door to their small apartment. As cramped a space as this was, it was comforting to come home to every night. Glancing at his wristwatch he noticed it was almost 7:00.

With a large sigh, he went into the kitchen, beckoned by a charcoal-scented smell.

Matt stood over the stove, fanning a pan of something burning with one hand. "Damn, I didn't think it would get hot that fast…"

It didn't take long for Mello to deduce what Matt was up to: clumps of black and brown beef were cooking in the skillet, a can of Manwich was opened on the countertop and two plates were set with open hamburger buns. Rolling his eyes, the blonde sighed before going to the range, turning the heat from high to medium. "This should work better for you."

"Sorry…" Matt added lamely. He grabbed a metal spatula from the counter, turning the meat over a few times more. "Well…none of it is red or pink now…so it's cooked at least." The redhead glanced at his laptop screen which was close by, reading over a recipe.

Mello took residence in his usual chair at the kitchen table, propping his elbows, then chin on his hands. With a gentler sigh than previous, eyes closed as he rested, taking in the sounds of Matt cooking. It was a soothing.

"Long day?" asked Matt, turning the meat over as it sizzled against the pan.

"Mmhmm," Mello nodded. "Didn't have much time to eat either so my blood sugar's down…" Closing his eyes for a moment, Mello could feel his conscious slip away before a soft pat of something paper-like on the head quickly stirred his senses, waking him.

Looking up, he saw Matt standing over him with a skillet in one hand and a paper plate in the other. "Bad Mello…you're supposed to eat. Mattie can't always be there to make sure you do." He handed the plate to the blonde who placed it in front of himself on the table.

Mello smiled tiredly as Matt poured spoonfuls of Sloppy Joe mixture onto one white bun. "Sorry that I burnt some of it…" He went to grab the other plate, loading the bun with an equal amount of meat and sauce as he had the first. Putting the pan back on the stove, Matt sat at the table, looking to his partner. "I hope it tastes fine…I used some tips from the internet, but I haven't mastered how to cook meat just yet…"

Matt twiddled his fingers nervously, looking down at the food. "Oh, I should go get the ketchup and mustard." Before he was able to do so, Matt stole a glance at his partner who was ravenously eating his sandwich. "Is…is it ok?" asked the redhead, sheepishly.

"Yeah, it's fine," swallowing fast, Mello took another large bite, scarfing the sandwich down within seconds.

The gamer sat in silent awe, watching as his friend licked his plate clean. Mello wiped at his mouth with the back of one forearm, holding the plate out to the gamer once done.

"W-What?" asked Matt, taken aback by Mello's actions.

"More."

Matt began to laugh. He took the plate with a smile. "Of course, of course."

o O o O o O o

It was now April, much warmer than it had been in past months. It was another usual weekday that Mello arrived home around 6 pm, shuffling in the door. He face was gaunt and tired as he closed the front door, head spinning from the simple action.

Matt sat at the dining room table, tapping buttons on his PSP when he heard the door close. "Hey, you're home already?" the redhead asked with a smile. He was always happy to have Mello home, to have some company after the entire day alone.

"Yeah…I'm home…" The blonde kicked off his shoes, making his way slowly towards the couch. He sat with a sigh, melding into the back of the couch.

"How was your day?" asked Matt, brimming with energy. He came to his friend's side, sitting Indian style on one cushion.

Mello wasn't in the mood to talk, proving so with his short words. "Eh, was ok…"

"Okay." The red head smiled. He had a feeling Mello was quite tired, as he usually was after a long day at work. Matt didn't know what his partner did, and intended not to ask. It was best to be grateful and to not question, or Mello would dodge the issue entirely. So he didn't bother to ask about the details of his job. "Are you hungry? I made some food. I think I've gotten better at cooking!"

"Uh huh," Mello said almost monotone. He rose from his seat, heading for the hallway.

"Mello?" Matt asked following after. He came to Mello's front, to which the blonde looked the other way. "What's wrong?" It was at that moment that Matt finally realized there was a slight discoloration to Mello's face. _Something…purple? Are those bruises? _There were several purple and brownish marks marring the usually white skin on Mello's face. "What happened?"

"Nothing…I'm just tired. I'll eat later."

"Mello, are those bruises? Tell me…did you get jumped?"

"It's nothing. I want to sleep. Move." He went to the right only to be blocked by the redhead.

"Please, tell me what happened. Are there more? Are you bleeding anywhere?" Turning, Matt looked in the direction of the bathroom. "Let me get the first aid kit."

"Move," said Mello, tone demanding access to his bedroom.

"Stop this. Let me help you." The gamer grasped at his friend's wrist, urging him to head to the water closet for treatment.

"I said move!" Mello wriggled out of the grip. "Get out of my way!" The blonde headed for the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

Matt was left alone in the hall, shivering. _Get out of my way!_ He remembered his father used to say. _Move it, you stupid bitch, _his father would say to his mother. _Bring me my dinner!_

"Goddammit, Mello…" Matt uttered with a soft crack of his voice. A few stray tears stained his cheeks before he rubbed them away, holding his emotions back. "Fine, be that way!" If Mello was going to act this way, then Matt thought it best to leave him be.

About an hour or so later, Matt was at the dining room table, staring blankly as his computer screen. The apartment was dark save for the light of his monitor.

_Dammit…what's with Mello lately? _Matt began to ponder his friend's behavior. It was unlike Mello to raise his voice, unless of course, it had something to do with missing chocolate or Near. _But otherwise…he's usually not like that to me. _Fingers tapped idly at the spacebar of his laptop. _I know he's been stressed with everything, but now we have some money. There's no need to worry about the rent or food. _

_Hm, I know we haven't really started anything on the Kira case yet. Maybe he's been thinking about that. Or Near…_ Matt knew quite well Mello's feelings towards his former friend. Matt didn't like how the three of them were split up. But he knew that no matter what he could have done Mello would have left. Now, though, he wasn't too sure what was best: stay with Near or Mello. He sighed. It didn't matter much now. It was going to be half a year since leaving Wammy's soon.

Matt explored other theories for Mello's change in behavior. _Maybe, he's also thinking about L's death, too. I think he was the most broken up, which surprises me a lot. I thought that Near knew L the longest. From what Mello said, he called L a loser and didn't seem to care that he died. Gah, those two. I don't think I'll ever understand them…_

But no. It couldn't have been Near, or L or anything like that. _It has to be that job of his. He doesn't want to tell me anything…_

As if it weren't difficult enough to understand Mello, but now it was twice maybe three times as hard. Matt didn't understand why Mello started to resent Near for being L's successor; he didn't understand why Mello felt the need to leave Wammy's and start investigating on his own; and now, he didn't understand why he had to be in the dark about Mello's job.

_Why? _He thought. _Why is it I'm left here alone all day, and he doesn't tell me one damn thing that's going on?_ Matt slammed his fist on the table. But it didn't matter. His outburst would get him nowhere. _I want to help Mello. But…I can't if I don't know what's going on. And Mello's not going to tell me…_

It was at that point that something occurred to Matt. If Mello wasn't going to tell him, then he was going to find out for himself. He sent an e-mail to Near, asking if he could give him access to a few police and surveillance databases within England. Near didn't seem to question the request and supplied Matt with the pass codes.

The hacker began to pour his energy into finding anything he could about Mello. He believed it was a safe bet that his partner was tangled in some illegal activity. _Idiot…if I'm right, then you're increasing your chances of Kira finding you._

Time passed quickly as Matt reviewed security videos and police records. At the very least, Mello did not have a criminal record, at least not yet. But finally, the hacker had found something. It was a surveillance camera video dating back a week ago. Mello had been walking with a taller man. The conversation seemed to go well, then he led the boy into an alley, which was unseen by the camera. Moments later, Mello was thrown from the alley, assaulted by five other men until he lay motionless on the ground. Once the men were finished and left, Mello stood slowly dragging himself off camera.

Matt wanted to scream at the video, at those who dare lay a finger on his friend. But he suppressed the urge. _Mello…_thought the youth with confusion. _What are you doing? Is this all worth so much that you'll get hurt just to make some money?_

It was almost midnight when Matt entered the hall, knocking on the shared bedroom that Mello currently occupied. "Mello, open up. I brought you some food," he stated dryly. Until that point, Mello hadn't left the room. When no reply came, Matt tried the knob, finding it to be unlocked and entered with a plate of food in the other hand.

Mello lay on his stomach, fast asleep. Nudging the bed with one foot, Matt attempted to wake his friend. "C'mon. You gotta eat. Wake up." He placed the dish on the floor, nudging Mello a second time until he turned, eyes blinking slowly.

"Whaaa?" The blonde's voice was quiet. He sounded more annoyed from being woken up rather than angry from the previous argument.

"You didn't eat. You need to even if it is late."

"Alright," sitting up, he looked around the room slightly disoriented. "Matt…"

"Hm?" Matt expression was blank. There was something he wanted to say, but waited for the right moment to begin.

"Sorry about earlier…" Mello grabbed the plate from the floor, placing it on one bent leg. "I shouldn't-"

"Stop." Matt placed his hand on Mello. Blue met with green. "About that. If you want so badly to keep me away from that, all the stuff you do, then fine. I won't ask anymore."

Mello nodded, looking down.

"No, don't look away. I'm not done."

Their eyes met again. Matt's own began to search the cerulean ones before him. When had Mello become so unreachable? "If it means that much to you, to keep this job of yours a secret, then fine. I'm behind you. Just don't make me have to save your sorry ass, got it?"

Mello blinked. He started to snicker a little, Matt's firm disposition faltered as a result.

"Wh-What?"

"Nothing, I get it. I can take care of myself, Mattie. Don't worry. That won't be happening. I promise."

The redhead sighed with a slight smile. "Alright. Now hurry up and eat. It'll get cold."

o O o O o O o

It was a few weeks later, sometime in May, when Matt woke to the sound of a truck engine reverberating off his bedroom walls. "What the…?" Rattled by the noise, he moved from the bed, standing upon it to peer out the window above. Matt rubbed the glass to clear it of dust, which revealed a clear picture of the world outside: a large delivery truck was parked out front. "What the…Mello…did he buy something new?"

Jumping to the floor, Matt pulled on his pants and shirt, running out to the front room. He found Mello at the front door, shutting it once the delivery men had left. The redhead stood in front of his friend, huffing, with a distressed, exasperated expression.

"Uh…what's with you?" asked Mello, appearing confused.

"You! And the…" Matt pointed to the front door, taking in a few deep breaths. Everything had happened so fast that he wasn't able to get his bearings until that moment. "What was all that about?"

"Oh sorry. I forgot to tell you." Mello motioned for Matt to follow him into the dining room. There, the pair stared at a large mattress wrapped in plastic covering.

"A mattress?" asked Matt, somewhat dumbfounded. "Ours seems fine though…"

Mello chewed gently on his lower lip, eyebrows furrowing as he went around to the other side of the room, examining his large package. "Well um, it's not exactly like that…Mattie."

_Mattie? _thought Matt. The tone, somehow melancholy, hardly befitted the usual reason Mello used the nickname. 'Mattie' usually meant that Mello was in a good mood, content with Matt or trying to coddle him somehow. Though now, it was painfully obvious that he was trying to tell Matt something that he didn't want to say.

Matt sighed softly, preparing himself for the news. "Then what's this for, Mello?"

_Have you already figured it out, Matt?_ "Well, um. I was thinking…" The blonde went back towards Matt. "We're getting older and, well…"

"You want to sleep in separate beds, right?"

_Guessed it that fast, huh? Heh…_chuckled Mello mentally. _Sometimes I forget that you're number 3. _Lowering his head until bangs covered his eyes, he nodded. "Yeah…"

"No, no…I get it…"

"Really?" Raising his head to look Matt in the eye, Mello gave his partner a confused expression.

Nodding, Matt continued. "Yeah. Heh, why wouldn't I? We're both boys and stuff. Actually, we shouldn't have been sleeping in the same bed as long as we did."

"Yeah…you're right."

"And since we have the money, it makes sense that we buy another. I mean, we were only sleeping together 'cause this place is so small, right?" Matt scratched at his head, laughing. He looked down at the new mattress. "I'm guessin' this is yours then, right?"

"Yes. It is. I'm not sure where to put it at the moment."

Matt shrugged.

"Hm, I guess I could keep it in the dining room here…at least for now."

The gamer exited the room to the adjacent kitchen, going to rifle through the fridge.

"What do you think Matt?" Mello turned, finding that he was alone. "Matt?" He looked to the kitchen and found his partner eating leftovers. "Why are you in here?"

"What does it look like…? I'm eating," answered Matt flatly. "Just woke up, so I'm kinda hungry…"

"…" Ignoring the tone, Mello continued. "I was asking where the best place to put the mattress was…"

Shrugging, Matt went to the utensil drawer, grabbed a fork and sat down at the kitchen table. He opened a plastic container of food, blatantly ignoring Mello.

"Matt."

"…"

"Matt!"

"What…?"

"Are you even listening to me?"

Matt's patience was starting to wear thin. Closing the container of food, the gamer stood from his seat. "What is it? I heard you. I don't care where you put it, Mello, ok?"

Blue eyes widened a moment. "Since when do you raise your voice at all ?...What the hell is with you, anyways? You sure made it sound like you were ok with the idea a few minutes ago." His voice began a crescendo. "And now you're acting like a little kid. What's wrong with it anyways? I was just asking you a simple question….idiot!"

"I already answered your damn question…I don't care where you put it!" Matt left the room in a huff, walking towards the bedroom.

The perplexed Mello paused a moment before following his partner out of the room. "Where the hell are you going?"

"To my room. And only MY room. You can sleep outside for all I care!" With that the bedroom door slammed shut.

Mello spent the remainder of his day lazing around the house. He wasn't too fond of spending one of his few days off work alone, but preferred it to sharing it with Matt. The two had a nasty argument, and the gamer was the last person Mello wanted to see right now.

It was now evening and Matt hadn't been seen since their argument. Chances were he was cooped up in the bedroom, playing some video game as he sulked. Mello on the other hand was lying on the couch in the front room, staring at the walls angrily. _I hate this place so much…_he thought, attempting to avoid thinking of his friend who was in the other room.

_What the hell was with him in the first place? God…he's always gotta have his way or something…_ Mello closed his eyes, remembering the argument.

_Once Matt had slammed the door, Mello's patience snapped like a dry twig. He went to the door, grasping the knob tightly trying to open it. It was locked. 'Matt, open up!' he yelled, slamming his fist into the door. _

"_Go away," said Matt._

"_Open this door right now!"_

"_Make me…"_

"_Son of a bitch, Matt. Open this door right NOW!"_

"_Fine…I'll open it," said Matt. "…once you stop being an asshole."_

"_I'm…I'm the asshole? Then what does that make you? Open up already!"_

"_No, not until you go back to how you used to be!"_

_Mello paused a moment. "What….what do you mean?"_

"_You've changed a lot…"_

"…_What are you talking about?"_

"_Just…go away. Leave me alone."_

_Certain that Matt would not open the door, Mello left to the living room to think._

"Changed a lot…what does he even mean by that?" The blonde teenager sent an icy glare towards the hall. _Idiot…you're just being a big baby. And I really don't know why. What reason does he have to complain, anyways? We've come a long way since the start of all this._

Mello looked at the ceiling, remembering when months ago this place was unfamiliar and new.

"Goddammit…" he said, heading for the kitchen. He went into the dining room afterwards, with several chocolate bars. "If that's how he's gonna be…" Setting the bars on the table, he pounced on the mattress left from earlier, ripping into the plastic wrap covering his new bed. "…then fine!"

Having successfully removed the plastic, Mello sat upon the mattress, reaching for a chocolate bar on the table. "Be that way then! I don't need that room. I'll make my own! Idiot gamer!" Tearing off the label of the snack, Mello balled it in his hands, tossing the trash in the general direction of Matt's room.

Once satisfied with his childish way of getting revenge, Mello laid back on the mattress, devouring bar after bar of the sweet, smooth chocolate. _I know he works, too. He cooks and stuff. But I'm the one getting my ass handed to me. He's too soft. I'm doing all the hard work while he's on his damn computer. He's got it so damn easy. _With a sigh he unwrapped another bar, taking a large bite.

_It's not like I don't think he works hard enough. _Looking around, Mello noted the clean appearance of the apartment. For as sloppy as he kept his bedroom, Matt made a point to do the dishes, laundry, cook and clean. On top of that, he also managed his cracking/hacking job. But even so, Mello was infuriated by his partner's outburst. Mello did his fair share as well, earning considerably more for his efforts. _You have it so easy anymore…so why are you complaining like a brat?_

After 3 bars had been consumed, he felt tired. "Damn him…you think he'd be happy with how everything has been going…"

With a cat-like stretch, he turned onto one side, curling up to warm himself. It was quite drafty in the apartment, more than Mello could have guessed. "I gotta get myself a blanket tomorrow…stupid Mattie…hogging all the blankets in his room…" Mello uttered a few more incoherent phrases before drifting to sleep.

Many hours later, Mello awoke to the call of nature. He sat up, rubbing his eyes before shuffling towards the bathroom. When his business was done, he walked towards the bedroom door and entered the room. With a quiet yawn he plopped down on the bed next to Matt, falling asleep almost immediately.

Matt, who had been napping lightly, awoke somewhat frightened. Once he saw Mello lying next to him, he decided it was best to keep still and quiet, he began to think to himself. _What's Mello doing in here? _

Matt looked to the bedroom door, remembering that he had unlocked it a few hours after the argument. He only wanted to make a point, and after cooling down, decided to unlock the door. While waiting that evening to see if Mello would come in, he had fallen asleep. Mello's abrupt entrance was welcomed, but terribly unexpected.

Sitting up gently, Matt looked down at Mello, who was fast asleep. He wanted to laugh. _You idiot…you're so tired that you didn't even realize that you came in here. _

Matt didn't want to be mad. For one thing, it wasn't his style to stay angry. Second, the entire argument was only a small portion of the real problem. Mello, though working and earring a great deal of the income, was starting to change into a different person.

Matt expected that the two would change since leaving Wammy's because of new experiences and also because they were growing up; but he never thought it would turn out this way. Mello came home late almost every night. Not wanting to seem needy, the hacker didn't press the issue and dismissed it as working overtime.

But it seemed the people who Mello was working with were a shady bunch. Consequently, Mello's disposition was starting to change, and not for the better as Matt saw it. He was starting to become emotionally closed off to Matt, acting outside of himself with a much shorter fuse than before, yelling and cursing sometimes, too.

Matt looked down at the sleeping boy beside him, wondering how someone with such a gentle face could be so different in the daytime hours. _Why are you like this, Mello? Why did you start changing on me all of a sudden? _

Matt began to ponder his friend's recent actions. Mello, for the most part, was very good to Matt, if not the most gentle. Recently, he started acting almost…as if he were more mature than his partner.

_Maybe I'm just being a baby, _thought the redhead with a soft sigh. The idea of Mello sleeping in another bed had enraged him, but, until that moment, he hadn't realized why. Despite having his own bed, Matt always felt most comfortable sleeping next to Mello. It was long after that Near started doing the same. It was difficult for all three boys to situate themselves on such a small mattress, but somehow they made it work.

After their rivalry began it was down to Mello and Matt sharing a bed. But soon Matt would find himself alone. _I'm just being a big baby I guess…_Fingers combed the auburn locks back over his scalp, playing with the hairs.

He didn't want to argue. The last time he and Mello had shared such words it had been a month prior when the blonde had come home, speckled in bruises. In the morning, Matt would most likely apologize, fearing being seen as a kid and tell Mello to fix up his own bedroom .. _Mello was…he was really stupid then. Same goes for all that crap with Near. And he calls me the idiot…_ _Maybe somehow you won't be so angry when you wake up… _With the most positive of thoughts in mind, the redhead turned over, slipping under the covers with a muted yawn.

Mello turned towards the warm body, whispering Matt's name before falling into a deeper sleep.

o O o O o O o

It was now the end of September. Summer had come and gone in the blink of an eye. In that time, Mello had been promoted to a manager position, overseeing transporters. He was getting in good with G who considered him one of his best men. While Ace and the others were displeased with his presence, Mello didn't seem to care and continued to work hard. His work schedule changed, too. He began to work less hours for more pay.

Matt continued to work as a hacker for Near, earning himself a reputation as a cracker on various forum websites, earning smaller jobs along the way.

The two seemed to get along better in recent months. Matt became quieter, losing his usual hyper disposition in favor of gaming or hacking activities. Despite his feelings towards Mello's behavior, Matt found it easiest to remain silent and let the fiery blonde do as he pleased. Things began to run smoother between the two afterwards. Mello, after his promotion, began to act more masculine, aided with a sharp tongue and fast fighting reflexes. Both boys started to change and mature into young men, a stark contrast from how similar they were to each other once.

A calm Saturday in the middle of the month began a mad search for information on Kira, the beginnings of their own investigation. Half the day had already been spent collecting data on Kira, and neither had come up with anything ground-breaking.

The pair sat at the dining room table, Matt at his laptop while Mello read through stacks of papers. "This isn't going to be enough…" said the blonde. "If we're going to beat Near, we'll need all the evidence L's already collected."

"Yeah, but how are we going to get a hold of that?" Matt played with the silver goggles around his neck idly. _I wonder if Near would give me those files in the first place…he doesn't want to go against Mello, anyways. Hm, I wonder…_

"Where else, my dear little hacker?" Mello grinned. "Hack into Near's stuff."

"Wait what?"

"As L now, he probably received everything L had been working on. And after being named L, I'm sure he's trying to collect more evidence. It's the best way to catch up on everything, to know what Near knows already." Mello rearranged a pile of newspaper clippings, each containing the words, 'Kira' in some configuration. "So Matt, I need you to hack into Near's system at Wammy's. When do you think you can have that done by?"

"Wait," said the hacker nervously.

"Wait what? You've hacked into Wammy's before. Don't you remember? You were let off the hook because of L. So I know you can do it, Matt."

Slumping into his chair, Matt shook his head. "Alright," he said, admitting defeat. He opened the e-mail client, typing up a message to Near. "I should have it done by the end of the night, if everything goes to plan."

"Perfect," Mello replied joyously, filing through stacks of papers.

_If Near says I can, that is…_Matt grumbled mentally. _I don't want to ask him. I don't like all this beating and getting ahead of Near, but I have no other choice._

It wasn't long after sending the e-mail that the redhead received a reply.

'I have no problem giving you access to the files L provided,' the note read. 'Actually, it would be best to have everything on a level-playing field. I do not dislike Mello; however, if it is a challenge he seeks than the players should be allowed access to all the information previously gathered. Please be safe.'

_Well that works…_thought Matt. For the next few hours he fiddled with different websites, all the while acting as if he were working intently to crack Wammy's system security. Matt cut it close a few times when Mello got curious about the work at hand, but he had successfully opened back into Command Prompt. Mello was intelligent on many levels, but computer language and electronics were not his forte; something such as Command Prompt gave Mello the impression of rigorous hacking work.

By the end of the night, after several games of Tetris, Super Mario and Super Mario 64 using different internet emulators, Matt had 'hacked' into Wammy's system. "Got it, Mells!" Matt shouted in excitement, beckoning his friend over to the monitor.

Mello skimmed the files, his smile increasing in size. "Mattie, this is perfect. Exactly what I needed!" He paused, patting the redhead on the back. _With this, I'm certain I can start to put my plans into motion._


	6. Chapter 5 Those Sumer Months

**CHAPTER 5- THOSE SUMMER MONTHS**

The last few months were a plethora of events which included a steady amount of work, saving money and investigating Kira. Today marked the first of the year: January 1st, 2006.

Mello awoke that morning around 9 o'clock. This happened to be one of his days off. He grumbled softly, rubbing at the corners of his eyes before getting out of bed. Mello pulled on a pair of jeans and a black jumper before grabbing a spiral notebook and then resting back on his bed.

With a sigh, he looked around the room: clothes were neatly folded in their drawers, personal objects arranged orderly on various shelves and dirty garments were in a basket in the corner. The entire space was a stark difference from his previously shared quarters with Matt. _I still don't get why he made such a big deal about having separate bedrooms a while back…_

With a slight shake of the head, Mello opened the notebook on his lap, reading over its contents. "Alright," he said aloud. "Matt and I have been saving money since we bought the fridge, my new mattress and some other small items. Let's see…" The youth bent forward over the edge of the bed, locating the ball point pen he had lost the previous night. "Ah got it." Returning to his former position, now with pen to paper, Mello totaled months of pay, subtracted rent, food expenses and additional small costs.

Blue eyes grew exceptionally large as Mello was pleasantly surprised with the total saved amount. He grinned. _Okay…_Flipping through the notebook he located another list. _We've maintained ourselves on a low level of expenses. With our current savings, we should be able to move into a bigger place anytime, just have to start looking for something. I don't think our location currently matters for the Kira investigation, though I think it would be best if Matt and I eventually move to Japan. _Mello reviewed a few notes on the list before him, one item reading, '12/05/2003: Lind L. Tailor is killed by Kira, proving that Kira resides in the Kanto region of Japan.'

_L was smart to pull a trick like that, using Tailor as his fill-in. This only proves that Kira is a petulant, arrogant child. The best way to counter him is to attack head-on. Though…I'm still unsure of what the best way to do that is…_ Mello rolled the pen between his fingers, resisting the urge to leave the room and get a chocolate bar. He felt most comfortable thinking with a square of chocolate between his lips, but didn't want to depend on the snack. _How can I get to him, get the upper hand on Kira?...Gah! _

Ignoring the urge wasn't working. He needed chocolate. Now.

Throwing the notebook and pen on the bed, Mello opened the bedroom door, stomping out into the hall towards the kitchen. _Stupid chocolate…_he huffed.

"Yo…" a low voice called, greeting the blonde as he entered the kitchen.

Mello came to the refrigerator door, looking down at Matt who was sitting at the kitchen table. "What're you doing up so early?" Grabbing a bar, he closed the door. Fingers made quick work of the wrapper and foil, placing a corner of the sweet chocolate against his tongue. _Ah….that's much better._

Green eyes were masked behind orange tinted goggles as Matt worked the buttons on his Gameboy. "Didn't sleep, I'm still up from last night." Matt's monotone voice indicated his attention was elsewhere, most likely locked in some sort of battle that played out on the game screen.

Mello rolled his eyes. "I don't see why you stayed up for that New Year's crap in the first place…it's hardly anything important to celebrate."

"Whatever…"

The older of the two shook his head with a scowl. "Yeah, yeah…so are you going to be sleeping anytime soon, or do you not sleep anymore?"

The redhead put his hand in the air, eyes never leaving the glowing screen. "Later. Almost done with this one…"

"What are you even playing?" Taking a few more bites of chocolate, Mello waited for a reply.

"Sigma Star Saga. I managed to get an advanced copy from the States." Matt paused, slamming his fist against the table.

Mello jumped and dropping his snack. "What…what the hell?"

"I lost….."

An angry frown graced Mello's features. "God, Matt…you're such an idiot…" Bending over, he retrieved the fallen bar, dusting it off. "Whatever…just go to sleep already."

"Uh huh."

Mello headed back to his bedroom. _That's just how he is anymore. Up a lot at night, playing one of those stupid games. _In all honesty, Mello didn't mind Matt's interest in video games, but rather how he abused them. Instead of merely playing, he was completely obsessed. _I don't get it. Now he ignores me most of the time and plays. _

Balancing the chocolate bar in his mouth, Mello sat on the bed, placing the notebook and pen in his lap. _I don't get it at all. He started being anti-social in the last few months… _He released a snort. _He's a baby… and just selfish. He always wants to have everything his way. And he plays those games instead of doing anything with me at all… _Deciding that his current thoughts were spinning in circles, the second successor scanned his notebook, beginning to contemplate his current Kira problem.

_Kira…how do I make myself known to him? The easiest way would be to commit large crimes. But no, that will only get me killed. Being in this business is already a strike against me. But…I need something different. _A square of chocolate was snapped from the bar, tongue wrapping around the treat thoughtfully. _I need to challenge him. Broad side him…but how?_

Despite the boost in mental activity from the chocolate, Mello was getting nowhere. _Grah! This isn't working! _He threw the pen across the room.

_I need power. Much more. I need…I need to be like G. _Mello's eyes went wide as he came to a realization. "Wait…that's it!" G, his boss. G was a powerful man, and Mello aspired to be just like him. That would be the best idea, to be just like him, to have command over men who would do his bidding.

Leaving the notebook open on the bed he went to the dresser, grabbing a pair of socks and ran out to the front door. He sat at the foyer, pulling on the socks followed by boots. "Matt, I'm going out for a little. Forgot something at work."

Mello stood, kicking one boot against the floor as it fit to his foot more comfortably. He waited for Matt to reply, but none came. After several quiet moments a scowl graced his features. Stomping into the kitchen he poked the obsessed gamer in one ear. "Leaving. Coming back soon. Bye."

Still occupied, Matt lifted one hand to scratch at the assaulted ear. "'Kay, bye," he replied quietly.

With nothing more than a shake of the head Mello was back to the front room and then out the door.

A long brisk walk later brought Mello to the back entrance of G's headquarters. The blonde rapped on the metal door three times. But nothing happened. Eyebrows furrowing Mello tried a second time. Still nothing.

With a huff he tried the knob, forcing the door open with a few shoves from his left shoulder. The door creaked open. Mello walked carefully through the building, footsteps purposeful and quiet. _I know I had the day off today, but I was sure there were still people here. _Despite such thoughts, the boy had yet to see a soul. No one was manning the door and he had yet to pass anyone in the hall. What was going on?

He soon arrived at the doors which lead to G's office. He was unsure if he should enter or not. _Did something happen? Something's up if no one was waiting at the front. There's lack of security today…does that mean someone infiltrated this place? _Mello looked over both shoulders. The hum of pipes filtered through his ears, mixed with the sound of his own respiration.

_I hate to sound cliché, but it's quiet…too quiet. _His gaze returned to the doors before him, the same crooked wooden doors he walked through every work day that lead to G's office. _Enough of this! If something happened, there's only one way to find out about it. _Fingers curled around the knob.

"Ga-ha-ha-ha-haaa!"

Mello shivered as a loud, ear-splitting laugh echoed throughout the corridor. He jumped, shoes clopping against the floor. _What in hell…? _He turned once, then twice searching for the source of the laugh.

Eyes fell upon another room several yards down the left end of the hall.

"Gah-ha-haaa! You've gotta be kidding!" said Roy with a guffaw.

Neal spoke again. "No, I'm not..."

Mello made his way over to the open door, peeking over the door jab. Ace, Neal and three other men sat in another lounge. This room was much smaller, providing better light that was suspended over a couch.

_Ace and the others…_Mello thought, deciding to eavesdrop. _I don't get it. Barton should be at the door. But here he is, laughing with Ace and them. I don't get it at all…_

Five men occupied the room; the large, L-shaped sofa held three of the men: Ace was in the corner, Neal on his right side and Barton on his left. Roy and Johnny sauntered about the room as the five conversed.

Barton, Roy and Johnny were men under Ace's command. Mello, though being an independent manager who worked under G alone, was the same level as the three previously named men. While they managed other workers, the transporters, they along with Mello were quite low on the food chain. Ace and Neal were first and second in command, which meant they were body guards for G rather than managers.

Neal continued. "Really…They beat him up but it didn't seem to do much. He took all the hits."

"Dammit!" Ace smoothed his fingers over his black slicked hair. "I was hoping to scare the little brat out of this, but I guess that leaves no other choice."

_Little brat? _Mello processed the phrase; sure it was him they were talking about. He remembered being jumped a few times back and he took every hit that was given. Mello thought it best if he was unresponsive so that the men would get bored and leave. His theory proved correct in that instance.

_Of course…it was them who had that orchestrated. _Ace and the others had never been too fond of Mello's presence in the first place, but did they really mean to get rid of him? He continued to listen.

"Ha ha!" Roy laughed, throwing his head back. "Ace, you're soft. Why didn't you just take him out in the first place, hm?"

"Shut the fuck up!" Ace huffed. "You know damn well if that kid ends up dead G will blow a fit. He's fond of the little snot, for whatever reason…" Pausing, he moved to sit on the edge of the cushion. "No, it can't be as simple as that. It has to be something elaborate, something where we won't get suspected."

"Heh, if we knew his real name, we could post it on the internet," Neal laughed.

Barton turned his head. "What…you mean for Kira?"

Neal nodded several times. "Yeah, yeah. That Kira has been killing criminals. All he needs is a name and face tah do it."

Ace stood, walking slowly around the room. "Don't be ridiculous. Kira kills criminals. He seems to know who's a piece of shit and who isn't. He'd never kill that little fuck, not for us at least. Besides…" Ace turned to his men, tone serious. "I want to know I'm the one who called the shots and had him killed."

_K-Kill?_ Mello shook slightly at the thought, moving slowly from the doorway as not to be heard. _Dammit…I knew those jerks didn't like me…but…argh! _The shaken boy made his way back to the other lounge, entered, and leaned against the pool table. His gaze fell upon the immobile billiard balls that were scattered across the smooth green surface.

Closing his eyes, Mello tried to calm him mind and think clearly. _Alright…let's not panic just yet. Think Mello…how can I get myself out of this mess? If I tell G about this, I'm sure Ace or one of them will kill me. G would never have them killed for something like this, though they would still be punished…somehow. They'd be in a lot of trouble, and they'd be even more pissed at me. That will only make my life a lot harder._

_So…then what can I do? If I'm not careful, they could follow me home. And Matt…_Mello flicked one of the balls across the table to quell a burning anger that began to build. _If they even come close to touching him…_

If anything happened to Matt…it was the sole reason he kept his friend in the dark about his job affairs, so that nothing would happen. _I can't let anything happen to him. There must be something I can do…_

Several minutes later, the proverbial light bulb lit above the blonde genius' head. _It's an idea…I don't know if it will work…but it's all I have on such short notice. _Mello shut his eyes, hand slipping under the collar of his black shirt. He pulled out the red and white colored rosary, rolling various beads between his fingers in silent prayer. Such an item was best concealed under his clothes when going to work; Mello already had enough against him and didn't want to be bothered for any other reasons.

_Babica… (Slovenian: Grandmother) _his mind whispered in the language he used to speak so long ago. _Please…give me strength to do this._

Releasing the grasp held on those beads, Mello stuffed the item back under his shirt, stood and went to G's office. Rapping on the door twice, a muffled, 'Come in,' informed him to enter. "Sir, I don't mean to interrupt," Mello bowed, looking towards his boss who was organizing stacks of papers.

"Eh, it's fine." G chewed on a cigar idly. "What're you doing here, anyway? I thought you didn't come in today." The older man placed a few dozen papers back on the desk, giving his undivided attention to his youngest employee.

_Alright…_ He wanted to clutch at his rosary in that moment for support, but instead held his breath before speaking. "Well sir, I had an idea in mind after one of our last talks." He took residence in the chair before G's desk.

"An idea?" G removed the cigar from his mouth placing it between the index and middle finger of his dominant hand. "I'm listening."

"Well, you had mentioned previously that anything that reaches the States from these parts is run by you first, right?"

"Heh yeah. And I wasn't just sayin' that, Kid, I meant it." He chuckled, placing the cigar on a nearby ashtray for later use.

"Well, then I have an idea to expand."

"Expand, what…you mean to the USA?" Reclining in his seat, Gryerman's eyes focused upon the boy, contemplating the possibilities. "Well, I have wanted to expand for a while now, but I haven't found any candidates to do it. I'd have to send someone overseas for that."

"Sir, what if you sent me?"

G uttered a "You?" in a genuinely surprised voice. He ran over a few thoughts before speaking a second time. "I like you, Kid, but I think that's out of the question."

Mello's heart sank. _No, I'm not giving up yet. _He began with a gently urging tone. "Don't rule me out just yet, Sir."

"Look, I like you. I said that before." One hand reached back to the ashtray, bringing the cigar back to the man's lips. "But I think you're too young for-"

"For what? For being in this business? I think we can both agree you knew that from the start. But that didn't stop you from hiring me." Mello didn't mean to sound forceful as he continued. However, the expression on his boss' face was neutral. "I don't mean to sound insubordinate…" he apologized before pressing on. "But you should explore all the possibilities. I may be young for this sort of thing, but you did hire me because I was smart, I had new ideas."

G nodded.

_Ok, I'm getting somewhere…I think. _"I'm sure you have other people you know in the US who could assist me. I could help expand for you. I can't do all of this on my own yet, but I'm sure there's a lot I can help with…" Mello paused, chuckling. "And I know you've been complaining that the men in the US branches are wankers."

The old man shared a hearty chuckle with Mello. "Heh, you really do listen to all I tell ya."

Mello grinned.

"Heh, ok, Kid. I'll think about it," he grinned, threading his fingers together.

"Really?"

Nodding, G took his cell phone off the desk and dialed. He continued speaking to Mello ringing was heard on the receiver. "Mmhm, I like the idea. I think I can work something out with those stupid fucks. They sure need someone to tell 'em what's what over there, ha!"

Grinning, Mello stood from his seat. _Damn, I'm good!_

"You're on standby for now. Gotta contact a guy in New York about your transfer. Come back here on the 6th and we'll discuss the rest."

With a bow, Mello said, "Ok, thank you for this opportunity, Sir."

G laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Get out of here, Kid, before you con me into doing anything else for ya."

The blonde nodded before exiting the room. _Yes! Ha! Now…I need to get home, grab Matt and high-tail it out of here! _Without another distraction, Mello made his way out of work and ran home as fast as possible.

o O o O o O o

The last several weeks were the busiest Matt and Mello had been since their days as a jobless pair. Mello had successfully convinced G to let him work in the States, resulting in a transfer that came the following week.

Mello and Matt packed their belongings and boarded a one-way trip to New York City from Southampton to LaGuardia Airport. G had been more than helpful during the transition, not only allowing Mello to work oversees but also paid for their airfare and booked a room at hotel for a month. The hotel room had been most helpful; it provided the two boys with temporary living quarters as they searched for an apartment.

Mello had planned to find a place in those 30 days, but ended up staying longer and paid for another full month. $200 a night for 30 days was a steal for a Manhattan hotel, and luckily, was only a small chunk of money cut away from their savings.

Along with apartment searching, Mello started up work with his new manager, Orlando. He was a 6' tall African American man with long dreadlocks, muscular build and a somewhat abrasive attitude. He managed ports on the Manhattan Island and owed a lot of his success and many favors to Gryerman. Orlando agreed to take Mello under his wing, and help him strengthen connections for G. However, he informed Mello right off the bat that he wasn't going to coddle him as his former boss had. Mello had no issue with the comment and began operations to expand G's reach.

Around the beginning of March, Mello had settled on a reasonably priced flat located in the Morningside Heights borough of Greater Harlem. That day, on March 6th, he brought Matt by Archstone West 54th to show him their new place.

Matt, now 16, followed his partner into the flat. Wooden floors, white walls and large windows made up the bare space. It seemed to be about the same size as their first place, Matt noted, as he took mental notes of his surroundings. The living room was connected to the kitchen and foyer, only separated by small dividing walls. There were 3 rooms at the end of the living room that were sectioned off by doors.

Mello, also 16, spun around the living room with a smile on his face.

The redhead observed his actions, blinking a few times. _Since when does Mello spin?_ He asked mentally. _And…did he just…smile? _Confusion marked his face as he felt a little awkward. Mello's smile, the once plentiful expression, had been long buried away in Matt's consciousness. Last time his friend had been this happy was the day he landed a job. It was one of the last times Matt had smiled, too.

_What's wrong with me? _Matt shook his head several times, trying to shake the thoughts that were causing a lump to form in his throat. _Dammit…I shouldn't be like this. I can't believe how much we've been able to do since leaving Wammy's. It's a good thing. I should be happy._

Mello smiled. "Isn't this great, Mattie? I always wanted a place like this to live in."

Unconsciously, Matt smiled as well. _Mattie…and I thought he'd forgotten that nickname. _A coil of pain mixed with guilty pleasure began to twist and tighten in the gamer's chest, his heart beating loudly in his ears. He couldn't name the feeling, but he felt very happy and somehow nervous; a combination of the two mixed with a tingling sensation that spread through his chest. Disregarding his previous thoughts, he went with the warm feeling inside and allowed himself a comfortable expression.

"Well you get your wish then, Mells," said Matt, grinning.

Mello nodded and turned to the three closed-door rooms. "There are the two bedrooms. The room in between is the water closet."

"Uh, I think they call that a bathroom here, Mells."

"Well…whatever." Mello stuck out his tongue.

Matt laughed.

It was a nice moment. The two seemed to connect as they had many months ago.

Matt walked the space of the flat, looking over the kitchen fixtures. There was a space for a stove and fridge. There was already a built-in dishwasher he noted after opening and looking inside. _Damn, this will be nice. Wonder how good it works…_

"So, what do you think, Mattie?" Mello came up behind the hacker as he closed the dishwasher door.

"Well I haven't seen everything. But I think it looks pretty good."

"Really…you do?" The blonde became starry-eyed as he moved closer to Matt.

"Um, yeah. I think it's good. What's with you?" Matt's heart began to beat faster at their close proximity. Mello was acting weird.

"I'm just excited about this place. If you're good with it, I'd love to pay for it today."

"Really? We have enough for it?"

Mello nodded. "Sure do. Rent is more than our last place. $1,500 a month here." He leaned against the kitchen counter, patting it with the palm of one hand.

"God!...really?"

A nod answered the redhead's question.

"Shit…and we have enough?"

A small laugh escaped the blonde's lips. "Yes, we do. Really Matt, I thought you were keeping track of everything we made and spent."

"I do…just…" With a pout, Matt continued. "I haven't thought about it in a while, ok?"

"Heh, it's fine. I'll refresh your memory. Before coming here we had £22,477.00. In dollars that's $36,011."

Matt nodded. _Wow, I didn't know we had that much already. I really hadn't thought about money in a while…_

"My boss was kind enough to pay for our airfare and the hotel for a month. We paid for food and 1 month, too. That leaves us with…"

"I think it's about $34,811." Matt went over a few calculations while staring at the ceiling, then back to Mello. "We spent about $600 on the hotel and another $600 some on food."

"Yeah, that's right. It's also a good thing we didn't take any of our furniture with us." Mello nodded.

"I don't know why we couldn't. They have public storage around here. I looked it up way before we left England."

"Matt…I wasn't about to spend all that money to ship two mattresses, a fridge and a rutty old couch from England to the US. For all that, we can just buy new stuff."

"…I still really liked that couch. It was worn in, in just the right spots…"

Mello rolled his eyes, crossing arms over his chest. "Mattie…really. For all the money we have now…" Blue eyes looked around the around the flat. "Believe me…I have some great ideas for this place."

The redhead blinked a few times. "Ideas…what do you mean?"

"Decorating ideas."

_Wait what? Since when does Mello like girly stuff like that? _"Decorating ideas…r-really?" Scratching his head, Matt ran through different ideas of what to say next. "Like what?"

The blonde grinned. "Oh, you'll see when we rent this place. First we'll move our stuff from the hotel in here. And then, we'll go shopping."

_Why do I feel like I'm talking to a girl all of a sudden? _Matt wanted to shake his head and sigh, but resisted the urge. "Heh, alright," he added nervously. _And here I thought Mello was back to his old self again. First he was cold…now he's a chick. He's even worse than before…_

o O o O o O o

Really…could it get any worse?

That's all Matt could think throughout the day.

Around 9a.m. he had been woken by Mello and told to dress. Lifting himself off the floor from a makeshift bed, the gamer rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was dreaming as he stood and stretched. Not before long, he found himself in a cab whisked away to a small eatery on West 25th Street called Johny's, ate a quick breakfast and left to start the day.

Matt yawned, tasting scrambled eggs and toast as he exited the diner. The food had been good, but really, all he wanted to do was sleep. He followed Mello to a cab and entered. Turning to the blonde he asked, "What are we doing?"

Mello blinked and shook his head to convince himself he had heard Matt correctly. "What are we doing? Is your brain still fuzzy from sleep?" The blonde placed a hand on red hair, ruffling it. "Don't you remember we were shopping yesterday? We still have a lot of things to buy."

Attempting to wipe the sleep from his eyes, Matt sighed with a muted yawn. "Huh? Oh yeah."

Of course, how could he forget? The day before had been 'heaps' of fun, shopping for kitchen supplies. Only thing that came in heaps was Matt's yawns. Spending time with Mello had been great. Though, shopping the way he did…Matt felt like the husband.

_How's this color? Do these match? What do you think of these? I don't know if it will go with this…blah, blah, blah…really. I'm the husband. And since I am…when the hell did we get married! _Matt shook his head, waking a little more as scenes from yesterday played through his mind.

He looked to Mello who sat next to him, pouring over a spiral notebook. He chewed on a pen in his hand, mumbling to himself. "Well, I guess we can go there later today…"

Shaking his head, the gamer looked to the front of the vehicle, wondering when Mello had the chance to tell the driver where they were going. "Where to first?" Matt asked, observing the moving objects outside the car.

"Well before that," Mello started. "I want to make sure we got everything for the kitchen. Did we?"

"Yeah." _I don't know…you're the one with the list._

"Here; I'll go through the list and you tell me if we got it."

Matt wanted to say, 'No.' He really enjoyed spending time with Mello. However, he was tired, and bloated, and didn't care about furniture at all. "Ok…" he sighed.

"Microwave," said Mello.

"Yeah," Matt replied with a sigh.

Mello checked the items off the list one by one. "Pots and pans."

"Yep." Matt stared at birds out the window.

"Spatula."

"Uh huh."

"Plates."

"Oh yeah."

"Silverware."

"S_í_." (Spanish: Yes.)

"Drinking glasses."

"Oui." (French: Yes.)

"Mugs."

"Hai." (Japanese: Yes.)

"Bowls."

"Já." (Icelandic: Yes.)

"Toaster."

"Da." (Croatian: Yes.)

Mello, who until now had put up with Matt's idiocy of speaking in different languages, turned to him with a smile. "Ah, tako da boste vedeli slovenski. Prosim, povejte mi, kje ste se naučili, bebec?" (Slovenian: Ah, so you know Slovenian. Please tell me where you learned it, idiot?)

Matt, who had been staring out the window, turned and looked to his friend nervously. "Uh…no habla Espa_ñ_ol?"

Mello dropped one hand on his friend's head. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Stop being stupid, this is serious stuff. We need a lot of things for our place."

Shifting around in his seat, Matt was grateful to be alive. _Phew, dodged a bullet there…if I pulled that shit at Wammy's I've have a handprint on my face or something. _"I know, I know. Can you blame me? I'm still…" He yawned. "Half asleep…"

"Well, that's what you get for staying up late playing…whatever it was."

"Digimon World 4. I was able to defeat Mecha Rogue X!"

"Matt…" The blonde shook his head. He looked out the window, noticing the car was coming to a stop. "Oh, here we are."

The pair exited, paid the cabby and turned to the building facing them. The store before them was fancy to say the least. Ivory Romanesque columns encased two large windows. At the middle was a pair of glass doors. Above it was a transom etched with the words 'B&B Italia.'

_Damn this place looks expensive,_ thought Matt. "Uh, Mells. How much money did you plan on spending on furniture?" Turning, the gamer found himself alone. "M-Mello?" Several moments of searching resulted in the only conclusion Matt could draw from the situation. _He's got to be inside… _

Parting the glass doors, Matt stepped inside. Low and behold, there was Mello, fawning over extravagant furniture. "Mattie, come here!" He beckoned Matt until he was at the blonde's side. "Look!"

Matt found himself staring at what looked to an overturned bookshelf, but in reality it was a modern-styled coffee table. "Mells, really?"

"It's called Surface by Winven Van Duysen. I looked it up on your computer last night." Mello ran around to the other side of the table, sitting on a small couch nearby that was part of this particular display. "Don't you love it?"

"M-Mells, I'm gonna level with you…"

Blue eyes blinked.

"If you remember, I used an old wooden crate that we placed in front of the couch back at our old place in England. You really wanna spend…" Matt dared a look at the price, the familiar taste of scrambled eggs winding its way up his esophagus. "J-Just no. No." Throwing his arms out, Matt took what little energy he had and grabbed Mello by the wrist, dragging him out of the store.

"M-Matt? What are you doing?"

Matt didn't let go until they were back on the street. He turned to a befuddled Mello, eyes large. "For the love of…for the love of the money I earn, we are NOT shopping there, you hear me?"

"O-Okay, Mattie." Putting his hands up defensively, Mello tried to wrap his brain around the situation. "Just calm down, ok?"

"Just…gah! If you had told me I'd be dragging you out of some funky, expensive, retro-sheik furniture store at 10 in the morning…I'd have stayed in bed."

Mello blinked as a thought came to mind. "Oh yeah…we still need to buy some mattresses…" Matt, at his wits end, threw his arms up in the air, uttering many incomprehensible phrases. "Mehjefeje… Badaba!" Annoyance at its peak, Matt turned and headed down the sidewalk away from Mello. When Mello realized Matt wasn't stopping or coming back, he followed after. "M-Mattie? Mattie, wait up!"

o O o O o O o

About an hour, and some bribery later, Matt and Mello found themselves in Crate & Barrel on Madison Avenue.

Matt sat on a green couch looking up at Mello, who was squinting while the two exchanged glances.

"So, you'll do it?" asked Matt, resting his elbows against his knees.

"Yes, yes, Matt. I promised I'd get you the new Nintendo DS Lite when it comes out."

Matt smiled. If he was going to go through this torture, he was going to get something out of it.

Mello shook his head. He didn't want to have to bribe Matt into doing something they had to do. The smile on the gamer's face was contagious, and his irritation melted away. "Now c'mon," he grabbed Matt by one arm, urging him to stand. "I wanna shop."

"Okay, okay…just don't forget."

"I won't, Mattie. I won't."

Now it was time to get down to business. Mello reopened his notebook, skimming over the entries. 'Living Room: Area Rug x 2, Lamps x 4, End Tables x 3, Throw Pillows, Dining Table, Table Chairs x 5, Coffee Table, Couch, TV, Credenza, Arm chairs x 3, Small table.' The entire list was tentative; its contents were connected to a makeshift floor plan Mello had doodled at the bottom of the lined page.

"Matt."

"Yeah?"

"Did I even show you this?" Mello presented him with the floor plan.

Matt took a few moments to look over the drawing. "…Are those supposed to be chairs?"

Eyebrows narrowed as Mello ripped the notebook away from Matt's eyes, gazing over the drawing. "Y-Yes!" A soft red dusted the blonde's cheeks.

Chuckling, Matt bent over holding onto his stomach. "You suck at drawing, Mells!"

Mello used the notebook as a weapon, beating the hacker over the back with it. "Shut up!"

Standing erect again, the redhead rubbed at his eyes, silencing the laughter.

"C'mon….get serious. I want to know if you like the ideas I had or not. It's our place to live, not just mine."

Matt shook his head gently, attempting to take a more serious approach to the drawing.

Mello placed the notebook in front of him again as the two looked over the floor plan.

"Looks good to me," said Matt, pointing to the drawing. "I like where you have the TV and the couch. Good use of that wall there."

Mello smiled. "Thanks…" he said, the saturation of the red upon his cheeks increasing.

Blinking, Matt stared at Mello's face, his eyes concentrated on the blush and smile. A painful tingling sensation spread through his chest. His previous thoughts, whatever they had been, dissolved and scattered like sand in the wind; all energies focused upon Mello's out-of-character expression. His heart beat faster and his palms began to sweat slightly. Shaking his head, Matt attempted to dispel the feeling. A light sigh helped to release the thoughts. _What's wrong with me?_

"O-Okay…" Stammering, Matt thought it best to get Mello far away as possible as he contemplated the sensations running through his chest. "You said you wanted to look at furniture, didn't you?" Matt pointed to a portion of the store they hadn't looked through yet. "Well, go on, then."

"Well you're coming with me!" Locking arms with the hacker, Mello directed the pair to uncharted areas of the store.

Emerald eyes closed slowly. His heart was beating so fast he thought it would rip out of his chest. _Ah…I feel so hot and sweaty right now. Really…what's wrong with me? _Matt could only reason that lack of sleep added to brisk walking contributed to the palpitations. He concluded his analysis, planning to nap once they got home.

Minutes turned into hours as the boys went from store to store. Mello had selected many different items, crossing almost every item off the list. He would save finding a TV for another day, certain that Matt would be best at selecting the electronics.

"Dammit…" The blonde combed bangs out of his eyes angrily, looking over the list.

"What…we've been doing really good, haven't we?" Matt shook his head. They had dropped almost $700 on shopping by now. _Really…shouldn't he be happy by now?_

With puffy cheeks, Mello uttered, "But we didn't get the couch I wanted…"

Blinking, Matt caught himself from falling to the floor. _Really? THAT'S what he's pissed about? _"Are you insane?"

Closing the notebook, Mello twiddled his index fingers. "I really wanted that black, micro-fiber one we saw earlier. But they said they won't be getting new ones in for a while…"

"Can't you just wait?"

"No."

Matt shook his head. _I'm…I'm dealing with a GIRL here…_ "Alright, alright." Placing his hands on Mello's shoulders, the redhead directed him to the couches. "Then pick another one."

"But I wanted _that _one."

"Pick _another_ one."

"But I wanted _THAT_ one."

"For the love of god, Mello…pick _ANOTHER_ one!"

Pouting, Mello conceded. "…Fine."

_Really…_Matt couldn't believe his ears. _The DS Lite isn't enough for all this. That's it…he's buying me a GameStop when this is over._

After 20 minutes, Mello fell in love. With a new couch, that is. It was similar to the first couch he had set his sights on, only gray.

Mello sat at the middle of the 3-cushion sofa, rubbing his palms over the fabric. "Don't you love it?"

"Yes, yes…" Matt nodded, joining his friend on the couch.

"It's just like the other one. Micro-fiber. It's Charcoal instead of Ebony like the other one. I think it's from the Madrid collection…"

Matt nodded as the blonde rattled on about colors, styles and other details of the couch. In reality, he didn't give a flying fuck. But he was fine with playing along, seeing as how happy it made Mello.

"Oh wow!" Mello looked to the end of couch, picking up a pillow that was seated in the corner. It was white with gray leaf pattern. "And look at these. The leaves on it are a lighter gray. They complement the charcoal so well."

Matt observed the pillows. They were square and filled to the brim with stuffing material. The fabric used looked shiny and rigid, definitely not best for resting one's head upon. "But um…they don't look too comfy."

"Comfy? Matt, these aren't for that. They're throw pillows. They're not for laying on in the first place."

"...not for laying on...Wait, wait. They're pillows, but they're not for laying on?"

Mello nodded. "Yeah. They're for decoration."

_Mello…really…you're a girl. _"Pillows…for decoration?"

Lips turned down as Mello answered the question. "Yes, Matt. They're decorative."

"Well then, I don't want them."

"Why?"

"If I'm on the couch, I want to be comfortable. Knowing you, you'll yell at me for laying on them."

Mello's frown deepened. "Yeah, I will."

"Then I don't want them."

"We're getting them. They match with the couch."

"I don't care. I want comfy pillows."

"We'll we're getting these."

"I don't want them, Mello. There's no point in having stupid pillows to just…look at."

"We're getting them, Matt."

"No we're not."

"Matt."

"Mello."

At this point, the pair were staring each other down, neither one willing to budge on the issue.

"Mello. No."

"Matt. We're getting them."

"Mello."

"Jeevas, shut up! We're getting them!" Standing, Mello headed to the front desk to place the order for more furniture.

Blinking several times in disbelief, Matt stared at the floor. "I-I…" _I should tell him not to use my real name…but I'm too scared to say anything. _

Typically, there were levels to Mello's anger and happiness. Mattie was a pet name, meaning Mello was in a good mood. Matt was mostly neutral, but depending on the tone of voice it could indicate irritation. Mail meant anger plain and simple. Matt hypothesized that Jeevas was a step above Mail now.

He glanced over his shoulder at Mello, glaring at him. _That was a dirty trick, Blondie._

As if hearing Matt's thoughts, Mello caught the hacker's glare, and stuck his out tongue with a grin.

_Ah, I see how it is. You and your girly pillows. But I get a DS Lite. So I win, ha ha! _Matt knew it was a non-victory. But at least he felt a little better.

o O o O o O o

By the end of the summer, life had gone back to normal. The apartment was fully furnished to Mello's liking, meaning Mello was focused on work again.

Matt had been hopeful about the change in Mello's disposition. He thought that the move brought them closer together. Unfortunately he was wrong.

It seemed Mello threw himself deeper into his work. He would come home even later from work. He never cooked. He never cleaned anything, only made messes. Matt held his tongue. He wanted to say something about it, but didn't. Instead he did his duty as a housewife: cooked and cleaned for Mello. He didn't like how the situation was, but thought saying anything would make no difference. It was currently late August. Matt was walking the streets of Manhattan, heading for a small liquor store that he frequented. Entering, a bell on the door rang.

"Hey, Matt," said the shop keep.

"Hey, Arnold."

"You're out again?" said the older man, heading for the counter. He bent down, pulling out a rectangular carton.

"You know me, I go through them pretty fast, heh." The redhead leaned against the counter on his elbows.

Arnold placed 5 packs of Marlboro reds on the counter. "$25 as usual," he added, ringing up the total. "ID please." He placed the cigarettes in a brown paper bag.

"Arney, you know I'm of age."

"Oh, yeah, sorry." The man laughed. "I'm just so used to sayin' that."

The two shared a laugh as Matt paid, chitchatted and then left.

Matt strolled down the sidewalk, staring at the sky. _It's nice out today, _his mind whispered faintly. Fishing his wallet out, Matt pulled out his driver's license. The name on the card read, 'Matt Jeter, DOB: May 16th, 1985' _1985…that would make me 21 years old, wouldn't it? Heh, it really was a good idea to make these, _he thought, remembering a conversation month's back.

"_We're in a big city now," said Mello. "And I think we should invest in some fake identification. You know, in case anyone gives us problems."_

"_Hm, not a bad idea," said Matt, performing different internet searches on the topic. "So, what should are names be then?"_

"_Good question." Mello paused, trying to come up with believable names. "Michael. I'll be Michael. Should be easy for me to remember since it's close to Mihael."_

"_Heh, alright. Can I still be Matt?"_

"_Yeah, sounds fine to me." Mello began to wonder what sort of surnames would be best. _

"_Oh!" exclaimed Matt. "C-Can my last name be Jeter?"_

"_Why Jeter?"_

"_Duh…I like the Yankee's."_

_Mello shook his head in disbelief. "Since when do you like sports?"_

"_Jeter's best in __Major League Baseball 2K6. Plus he's on the cover of the box. I love that game." Matt smiled._

_Of course that's why it was…some game as always,_ _thought Mello. "Alright. You can be Matt Jeter."_

"_What about for you, Mells?"_

"_Well…I heard this name the other night. Ferrante. Sounds…kinda Italian. But I think it will work."_

_Matt snickered. "So Matt Jeter and Michael Ferrante, huh?"_

"_Think you can make those for us?"_

_Matt gave a thumbs up. "No problem, Michael. I know a guy who makes 'em. Shouldn't take him long. Plus he owes me a few favors as is."_

Matt stared at the card, sighing. _Whatever…it helps me get smokes. What should I care otherwise? _Putting the card back in his pocket, he found a bench along the street and sat, fishing out a box of cigarettes and the lighter in his pocket.

_I should get some more lighter fluid soon…_

Placing the cigarette between his lips, Matt lit it, taking a long drag. Hot smooth smoke entered his mouth twirling down his throat. A strong taste of rustic tobacco covered his tongue as he inhaled, calming his senses. _Much better…_he thought.

Smoking; it was something he started doing when Mello began to act cold again, a few months back. Matt never imagined he would do it. Hell, the very idea of it made him wretch. Though after trying it, he found it was quite relaxing. It soothed him and made dealing with Mello come easier.

He snickered, remembering the first time he tried it. Inhaling that first puff, he coughed like crazy. His lungs felt like they were on fire, immediately rejecting foreign substance. The paper of the cigarette tasted like cardboard and charcoal. Light headed, he thought he would throw up at any second. The initial memory didn't stop him from trying again, and again, and again until he liked the feeling it gave him.

A few weeks ago Mello caught him smoking in his bedroom. He gave a, 'Whatever, just do it outside,' in reply to finding out. Matt didn't want him to know, but, it didn't matter anymore, he thought.

Smoking was becoming a part of him, his daily medicine to lessen the irritations caused by Mello. _Mello…_he thought regretfully. Putting the lighter back in his pocket, Matt pulled out his cell phone. It was a new addition to his repertoire of electronics. The time read, '3:43 PM.' Standing from the bench, he crumpled the bag closed and pressed on for home.

He entered the empty apartment. Mello was at work, of course. Matt wished to himself that there was a dog or something there to greet him when he returned. He wanted a pet, some company, something. But Matt was certain Mello wouldn't let him keep one. The redhead wondered idly if the landlords even allowed pets or not.

Dumping the brown bag in his room, the third successor returned to the living room and sat at the small oval table where his laptop usually sat.

The living room was divided into three sections: the dining area, the TV and couch area and the quiet working area. Matt enjoyed sitting at the quiet work table that had a large spacious table for one complete with a comfy armchair. This is where Matt did most of his work.

Mello would use it when he was home to compile notes and plans for the Kira investigation. The details of such plans were currently unknown to Matt; and frankly, he didn't care to know them. Kira hardly mattered to him in the first place. Until Mello was home, however, this table and chair was Matt's. Actually, the entire apartment was his; there was no one there to tell him otherwise. At the very least, Matt enjoyed the tranquility of isolation, though he wasn't sure what he preferred: quiet isolation or hectic company.

Shaking his head, he turned on his laptop, relaxing into the armchair. Looking at the date and time on the screen, he was reminded of the day: August 24th, 2006. "Heh, yeah, it's his birthday today. Should be his…15th today."

_Near…it's been too long. _Matt wanted to talk to Near. He sent him a birthday gift a week prior. But he really wanted to see him face-to-face. Matt sent the albino an e-mail and asked to start a video chat as soon as possible. It wasn't in person, but it was as close as he was going to get for now.

10 minutes later a ping sounded, indicating Near was online. A window opened, showing Near curling his hair.

_He doesn't look any older since the last time._

"Hello, Matt," Near greeted in monotone.

"Hey, Near. Happy Birthday!"

"Heh, thank you." Near chuckled. But it didn't seem like a happy chuckle. More like he was expected to laugh showing his thanks for the tiding. "So, how are things in America?"

"Been pretty good. I'll show you around the apartment if you like."

"If you like," replied Near, staring emotionlessly at his redheaded friend.

_Dammit…he seems more cold than the last time. _Matt knew it was hard on Near, hard on him to be alone. They were all alone in their own ways; not only was Near separated by waters but Matt and Mello were far in their own ways, too. Why was it that Mello felt the need to distance himself so?

Matt began to show Near around the apartment, turning the computer and explaining how much money and work went into remodeling. All the while, he couldn't help but think about Mello. _Mello once told me that his parents abandoned him. Being alone…it was his greatest fear. Then why? Why did he leave Near…and now me?_

_I want to get close to him. I want the three of us to be together again. But there's nothing I can do. _Matt looked towards one of the three windows in the living room. He didn't want to be here any longer, here where he was alone, always alone.

_Mello…why does it have to be like this? I want to ask you, but, I don't know how. _

He hoped that this was just some stupid dream, something he could wake from and find himself back at Wammy's House. He would wake up and run to Mello and Near, hugging them as he told them his fears. He would be close to them again, not left to stew and wonder what the future would hold. He would be back safe and secure in their arms.

_Someday soon…I hope we'll be together again._


	7. Chapter 6 Days Long Past

**CHAPTER 6: DAYS LONG PAST**

(Author's Note: Portions of this story are written in Slovenian, followed by parentheses () with the English translations.)

December 2006. The wintery season began particularly cold in Winchester, England. The halls of Wammy's House were filled with happy sounds of children playing as Roger Ruvie gazed out a large window at the front of the orphanage.

He placed one palm on the glass, cool air meeting with his warmed hand. _It's going to be really cold this winter_, he thought, studying the wrinkles on the back of his hand. _I think I'm getting too old for all of this…_

Retracing the appendage, Roger made his way to his office, closing the door behind himself soundlessly. Pulling the rolling chair out he sat down with a light sigh. A small desktop calendar informed the man of the date: December 5th, 2006.

_Really…2 years…it's already been that long? _Two years to the day marked a solemn anniversary. Roger had been informed of L's Death; that same day Mello and Matt left Wammy's in order to begin their own Kira investigation.

Wrinkled fingers combed patches of white hair back against his scalp as Roger closed his eyes. _I can only wonder what those boys are up to. Near said they're fine. But really…I never should have let them leave. _

At the time, Mello and Matt were barely teenagers. If this were any other orphanage, Roger would have been jailed for malpractice. However, this wasn't just any other orphanage; it was Wammy's House, a secret place for talented and intelligent children. Those same children did extraordinary things. Maybe, because of their intelligence, Roger didn't have to worry so much. Perhaps they really were doing fine on their own.

_Mello…Matt…and Near…what will become of all of you? Will you be ripped away just as L was? _Relaxing against the office chair, Roger began to remember just how those three boys had come to live at Wammy's House more than 10 years ago.

o O o O o O o

It was a cool autumn night in October of 1991, indicating the wintery season was drawing close.

A young L Lawliet, no more than 11 years of age, lay in a small twin sized bed in his room at Wammy's House Orphanage. Curled into a fetal position, the youth pressed a thumb to his bottom lip, gazing at an alarm clock a good foot away from himself. The time read 11:01 PM.

Dark eyes looked away from the time piece as L snorted softly through his nose.

_No..._he thought. _It's still not tomorrow...which means it's still no closer to my birthday._ In less than an hour it would be exactly four days until his birthday, four days until he would be 12. Four days until he could devour as many celebratory sweets as he wanted. Images of cake, pie and chocolate flooded his mind, a small trickle of saliva escaping his lips. A damp sensation came upon his hand and he grunted, wiping the fluid away.

A low whine of L's stomach permeated his blanket. He blinked, realizing that his thoughts were making him terribly hungry.

Quietly, he moved from the confines of his room. He made his way down the hallway, through a few corridors until he made it to the kitchen. There, he climbed onto a counter and reached up as far as his toes and fingers would allow to a particularly high cabinet where the sweets were kept safe.

It was no secret that L craved sweets, so much so that Roger and the other caregivers had to store such confections out of young L's reach.

_Almost there..._ he thought with determination, the handle to the cabinet only centimeters away from his fingertips.

A rattling, ear splitting cry assaulted his ears, breaking L's concentration and sending him careening to the floor. He lay motionless on the floor for a few seconds before realizing that he had landed on his shoulder blades with an ungraceful thud.

Getting to his knees, L sat upright and rubbed at his back with one hand.

_What was that?_ The boy questioned, rising to his feet, shoulders slumping in pain.

That sharp cry sounded again, causing L to close his eyes in concentration, hoping to locate the source. After a few minutes he was able to determine that the sound was coming from the front door of the orphanage. Onyx eyes once again opened as the youth padded down the nearest corridor coming upon two large swinging doors. L stood before the threshold, reminded that Wammy and Roger had told them, the children, time and time again not to go outside at night.

That cry came again. A pathetic bawling called out for someone to come and investigate. L was not about to pass up a chance for some detective work and decided to ignore the warnings in his mind.

He unlocked one door and pushed it open. A cold gust of wind came over the pajama clad youth, gooseflesh rising in wake of the chill.

L peered out into the night, his gaze landing on the source of the sound: A baby; a small, white haired baby, wrapped in a blanket and tucked neatly into a basket. The child shook from side to side, large tears streaming down its face as it screamed, crying out for attention.

Eyes widened as L thought he should do something. _Wammy..._he thought. _I should go get Wammy._

o O o O o O o

A few moments later, Quillish Wammy was led by L to the main doorway. The older man yawned once, walking out the front door. He looked down, inspecting the basket at his feet, adjusting his glasses to better assess what he saw: A baby boy, possibly a new born.

The infant stared back at the older gentleman in a break between crying fits.

"I told you," said L, pointing at the child. He turned to the basket, kneeling at its side.

_Another one..._thought Wammy sighing deeply, clearing his throat with a grunt. _I'm sorry, little one. Sorry that your parents didn't want you anymore._ He thought a few moments to himself, making a mental list of all the care this new child would require.

Swallowing his sympathy for this infant, Wammy chuckled lightly. "Yes L. You're right in that. It is a baby, very, very young if I am correct." He extended his hand to the infant, rubbing the back of his index finger against one small white hand until it responded and took hold. The older man chuckled lightly like a doting father, cooing softly at the child.

L looked to Wammy and then at the baby, thinking as he shifted his body weight from one knee to the other.

"Something wrong?" asked Quillish.

L looked up at the caregiver, staring blankly at him. "Can I keep him?"

"What?"

"He looks interesting to me. Can I have him as a birthday present?"

Wammy stared at the young L. For being a genius at such a young age, it was sometimes hard to remember that he wasn't even a teen yet; asking to keep a child as a toy as one would ask to keep a dog that had followed them home one day.

Gently, Wammy shook his head, placing a free hand on L's hair. "No L, you can't keep him. But we will take him in." Getting to his feet, the older gentlemen grabbed the baby basket by the handle and walked into the building. L padded after him, closing the door behind the two.

The pair came to the front room, a cross between a sitting room and a lobby, and sat at one of the couches. Quillish sat in the middle of the couch, placing the basket between his feet.

L followed suit, crawling onto the couch. He leaned into one of Wammy's thighs, peering down at the now calm baby. "He looks funny," said L, scrunching his face.

"Oh?" asked the man, a light chuckle in his throat. "How so? Do explain."

"It's his eyes and hair. He has white hair and big eyes. It looks funny to me."

"L, you should know better than that," he chided gently. "It does not matter what he looks like. What matters is that we are here to take care of him."

L looked to the older man for a few moments and then turned his attention back to the baby. "Ok..." The shaggy haired youth mused to himself, thumb coming to rest against his lips. "What's his name?" he asked, turning towards Quillish.

Wammy lowered his hands to the basket, searching the infants clothing, blanket and basket for an indication of a name, a note, any sort of information about this baby, coming up with nothing. "It seems he doesn't have one," He released a gentle sigh.

L sagged dejectedly, the hand which had held the thumb to his lip fell to his side as his shoulders slumped.

Wammy pat the boy on the head. "Don't look so down. That just means you will have to help me name him. It's important to pick a good name for him."

The boy's eyes turned upward as he smiled. "Ok." Climbing off his perch on the couch, L got down on hands and knees, coming face to face with the new baby.

The child, now calm and serene, shifted from right to left, hands outstretched towards L. The baby gurgled, L giggling in return.

Wammy watched the two as a proud father would look after his children, awaiting L to give an idea for a name.

After several minutes L turned towards Wammy.

"Go on," said the man. "What's your thought?"

"Frog..." answered L.

"F-Frog?" Eyes widened as Quillish ran a few fingers through his two-toned white and black hair. "Is that your idea for a name?"

L nodded, his expression revealing that he was dead serious.

"May I ask why you chose such a name?"

"Well..." L began. "I have been reading about the Nathan River Hot Spring located in Australia. The frogs there look a lot like him," he said, pointing to the baby.

L was no doubt correct in the comparison, thought Quillish. The baby had large, bugged out eyes that seemed more pronounced than other babies'. However he could not agree to such a name.

"Interesting choice," said the man. "But I don't think Frog is the best idea."

"Oh..."

"Though I think you did give me a good idea. I'll still be using your idea in some way." The older man leaned down towards the infant, tiny fingers instantly grasping the recently found toy in Quillish's index finger. "Not Nathan River per say, but Nate River." A smile came to the man's lips as the baby giggled happily, shaking the finger in his hand from side to side. "Do you like that, Nate? That is your name now."

o O o O o O o

October, 1995. The trees around Wammy's House appeared spindly and bare, the wind pushing branches about proving the fall season obvious.

L, now 16, had become a quiet, calculating teenager who possessed many odd habits he had picked up in early childhood. Nate, his little shadow, made a point to imitate each and every action performed by his mentor. Currently, the pair occupied L's bedroom. L sat at his desk while Nate was in his lap, watching L read over case files.

L had received more than an infant as a gift for his 12th birthday in Nate; he had gained a little brother. Between case work, L taught Nate all he knew. For a 4 year old, L noted, Nate was remarkably smart; he was far advanced from counting numbers and recognizing shapes.

For one thing, Nate could read. He was also able to solve basic math problems that included multiplication, division, addition and subtraction. He was still a bit shaky on fractions and decimals, but L was confident he could introduce Algebra soon. Mathematics aside, Nate was also good at speaking in complete and descriptive sentences. With L as a teacher and his home Wammy's House, it was inevitable that the child would develop so rapidly.

Sighing, L propped his elbows against the desk, rubbed at his forehead. He has only begun to solve cases in succession recently, and the stress was starting to mount. Rubbing under his eyes with a yawn, the genius began to wonder when he had slept well last. _If this keeps up…I am sure I will have dark circles under my eyes…_

Nate sat up, staring at the teenager. "Why are you so tired?" he asked in a soft tone.

"I have been putting all my time into these cases of late. It seems I have not been sleeping properly."

Large gray eyes blinked slowly, processing the information. "But…if you don't sleep you won't be able to work. You'll be too tired."

L smiled, patting the boy's soft white hair. "You are correct. I will have to change my habits."

Nate smiled in return. He loved the touch of his surrogate older brother. The praise made him feel useful and happy.

L picked Nate up as he stood out of his seat, placing the boy on the bed. Afterwards, he went to his closet, kneeling, picking up a recent newspaper with the tips of his thumbs and index fingers. The periodical was dated October 8th, 1995. The headline read, 'Home free: OJ Simpson found not guilty.'

_It is hard to believe such crimes will go unpunished,_ thought L. _No, I cannot dwell on the past. I have just begun solving cases, and I cannot hope to right past wrongs that were before my time. All I can do now is prevent future injustices._

"What are you looking at?" asked Nate. He wanted to jump off the bed and go to L, but he was unable to reach the floor from his perch on the bed. The distance between him and the floor seemed like looking over a cliff at a canyon below. Looking down with puffed cheeks, Nate felt a shiver run up his back. He was sure that jumping would result in a painful fall.

L chuckled as he looked at the boy. He specifically left Nate on the bed to keep him out of the closet. L wanted to protect Nate from such terrible things; and currently, he didn't want to explain anything about cases or murder adequately to a 4 year old child.

Placing the paper neatly back in the pile, L stood and sat next to the albino on the bed. "I was just looking over some papers. I am done now."

Nate looked toward the closet, trying to determine exactly what L had been looking over.

With a laugh, the dark-haired teen patted the boy on the head. "It was nothing of importance." Pausing, he thought of how to change the subject. "I am hungry now, are you?"

A head of white hair nodded vigorously.

Another smile graced L's lips. "Very well, it is after lunch time. Let's go to the kitchen." He picked up Nate, placing him on his left hip as the two left to eat.

o O o O o O o

Late November started with frigid winds. Snow was sure to fall soon, but until then the harsh air was more than enough to bear. L covered most of his face with a black and white striped scarf tucked into a charcoal pea coat as he braved the wind. _Really…_he thought, entering a large government-run building. _I do not understand why I must be doing this work. There are many cases that require my attention. This sort of thing is better left to Wammy._

"Welcome sir," said a receptionist in the front lobby.

"Hello," said L, fishing his pocket for a card. 'Wammy's House Operative,' was at the top of the card in bold letters. He flashed it at the receptionist who directed him to the child service's office.

He entered a large room with rows of desks and employees hard at work. He made his way through the room, desk after desk of male and female workers pouring over paperwork and other mundane tasks. But in the midst of the normalcy, a small blonde-haired boy caught his attention as he found his way to the end of the room. The boy appeared about 5 or 6 years old and was surrounded by adults in the middle of the room. He sat at a desk looking at the floor while several adults spoke to him.

Paying no mind to the child, L located an office door at the end of the room and knocked. A voice inside told him to enter. "Yes, what can I do for you?" asked the man behind a desk in the room.

L blinked. Being cooped up Wammy's most of his life made him forget people outside spoke with English accents. "Hello, sir," he said. "I am with Wammy's House on Mr. Wammy's behalf. He is tending to other business today."

"Ah, yes. C'mere ahnd sit."

L sat in an arm chair before the desk. He had his rear in the seat and both hands on the arm rests. _Uncomfortable…_his mind whispered. Wammy had informed him that he must act proper outside of the orphanage and not to sit like he usually did. It was in the best interest of Wammy's House that their reputation remained clean.

The man spoke while looking over documents. "Sorry, I don't think I caught your name. You can call me John."

L thought a moment. _It is probably best I don't give out my real name any longer. With all the work I have started, it may eventually be harmful if such information is leaked. _Nodding to himself, L replied. "I am Kazuki, pleased to meet you."

"Oh, alright then." The man's eyebrows rose at the foreign name. "Well, what business are you here for today?"

"I believe Mr. Wammy comes here ever so often to see if there are children we can take off your hands."

"Oh, yes, yes! Sorry." The man stood, shoving papers into disorganized piles. "Lately, it's been pretty busy here."

L stood. He was relieved to get out of that terrible sitting position. How anyone could sit like that for long periods of time was beyond the teen's comprehension. "I can imagine."

"Let me show you the children we have now. I'm sure some would be best in your care."

The pair exited the office, heading for another room. L fell behind, intrigued by the blonde boy that caught his attention earlier. He looked over at the boy and collection of adults; it was easy to tell that the child was terribly uncomfortable around the workers surrounding him.

Pressing a thumb to his bottom lip, L went to get John's attention. "Sir…"

John stared as L removed the thumb from his lip.

L coughed; slightly irritated that he had to conform. _And this is precisely why I don't like going outside. No one looks at me awkwardly back at home. _"I wanted to know. What happened with that boy there?"

"Oh that. Actually, that's been the biggest problem of late. He was found in town stealing fruit the day before. When the Bobbies took him in they realized he didn't speak any English, so they left him here."

"Interesting…do you know what he speaks?"

"Ahfraid noot. It sounds Slahvic tah me, but that's ah guess at best."

L left John's company, heading toward the group surrounding the blonde child. He spoke quickly to the adults and asked if he could have a moment with the boy. Once granted, he knelt next to the child, observing him with large, curious eyes.

The child had golden blonde hair that curled to his chin and cheeks. Bangs were cropped above his large cerulean eyes. His face was round, indicating that he was about 5 or 6 years old. The clothes he wore, a black jumper and a pair of tan pants, where tattered and dirty. L took every detail of the child into consideration. _He looks foreign. German perhaps?_

The boy blinked at the odd teenager. "Kaj počneš?" (Slovenian: What are you doing?")

L blinked, processing the words. It definitely wasn't a Germanic language; Slavic was the best guess after all. Though it was not something L was familiar hearing. Wrinkles formed on his forehead as he ran through possible ethnicities. "Вы говорите по-русски?" (Russian: Do you speak Russian?)

The child blinked.

_No, that's not right. Hm…I'm not familiar with any other Slavic languages. _L turned to a nearby desk. He grabbed a pad of paper and a pen. On it he wrote a few different words in English then handed the items to the child. "I know you will not understand, but I am writing what I speak. Please write whatever you can."

As expected, the boy wrote down some words in his native language. L took the pad and handed it to one of the adults. "Find out what language this is."

It took a half an hour and 3 child service's workers to come up with an answer: Slovenian. (Author's Note: The internet was not widely used until 1997. Since the year here is 1995, it would take some time to access vital information such as the origin of a language.) L did some of his own research through Wammy's and managed to locate some common phrases of Slovenian in order to start a small conversation with the boy. He knelt down with the child, a sheet of phrases written in Slovenian in one hand. "Živjo." (Slovenian: Hello) He read off the paper slowly. "Jaz sem L. Kdo si ti?" (I am L. Who are you?)

"Mihael," answered the boy.

A small smile etched into L's features. _I am getting somewhere. _Delighted, he continued. "Živjo, Mihael..." (Hello, Mihael.) "Kako si?" (How are you?)

Mihael shifted uncomfortably. "Lačen sem, Rad bi jedel." (I am hungry, I want to eat.)

L released a soft snort. Speaking and understanding this language were two different things. Looking over the paper, L spoke again. "Ne razumem…" (I don't understand…)

Mihael cocked his head to the right then left. He thought a few moments before opening his mouth, pointing to his tongue. The hand fell to his stomach, rubbing in a circular motion.

_Oh, he's hungry._ L smiled, hoping to make Mihael feel comfortable.

The blonde-haired child gave a small smile in return.

_Makes sense,_ he thought, looking over Mihael's clothes. _I have a feeling he has been wandering by himself for a while now. He must have stole food because he was very hungry. _Pressing a thumb against his bottom lip, L continued. "Od kod si?" (Where are you from?)

Mihael processed the question. "Sem iz ... svoje hiše." (I am from…my house.)

_I am from…_ _svoje hiše? _Again, L was at a loss. He took the paper pad and pen from the desk, handing them to the boy.

Mihael was starting to understand that his words were not getting through to the teen. Instead of writing, he drew a small picture of a house.

_A house… _thought L. "Kje?" (Where?)

Mihael pointed to the picture.

L bit at his lower lip. It was quite frustrating trying to overcome the language barrier. But he wasn't about to give up. "Da, da...Ampak kje se kje je to? Kakšen je naslov?" (Yes, yes...but where is it? What is the address?)

Mihael shook his head. "Ne vem." (I don't know.)

Blinking, L frowned. _A young boy like this…he drew a picture of a house, which means he knows what a house is. Because of this, he must have parents or someone capable of buying a house to live in. But he doesn't know his address. What sort of parents would not teach their child their own address? _"Mihael, kakšno je tvoje polno ime?" (Mihael, what is your full name?)

The youth shifted in his seat. "Mihael Keehl."

L assumed that the hunger was starting to become troublesome. He turned and saw the adults from earlier standing around, fascinated by his work. "One of you please get something for this boy to eat. He is very hungry." Turning his attention back to the boy, L took the note pad and wrote on it. "And another one of you, please look up this name." He ripped a paper from the pad and handed it to one of the adults. "Find his parents or anyone you can. Hopefully there is still someone he can return to."

An hour passed before new information came to light about Mihael Keehl. L sat with Mihael doodling pictures on the note pad as L waited for news about the child's situation. In that time, the boy had downed several vending machine snacks.

"Duh, Duh!" (Ghost, Ghost!) said Mihael happily tugging on the teenager's arm. He had decided on the nickname of ghost to call L due to his washed-out appearance and large dark eyes. "Nariši več! Nariši več! (Draw more! Draw more!)

_Really…I wish I knew more Slovenian. I want to know exactly what he is saying. _L only smiled in return, continuing to doodle on the pad of paper.

"Kazuki," said John, walking up to the pair. "Please, come to my office."

L stood, looking down at the boy. "Mihael, počakaj tukaj. Kmalu se vrnem." (Mihael, wait here. I will be back soon.) Before he could move, there was a tug on his clothing.

Upon further inspection, L found Mihael had attached both hands to his coat, holding on for dear life. "Mihael?"

Tears began to stream down the boys face, cheeks reddening as he cried. "Duh ... ne odhajaj. Ne zapusti me..." (Ghost…Don't go. Don't leave me…)

L didn't need a translation to know what Mihael said. In actuality, it didn't matter what he had said, only that L's actions had upset him. The teen sat back in the chair, rubbing the blonde's head. "John, I think we will have to talk here. It shouldn't be a problem since he does not understand English."

Mihael sniffled a few times before rubbing at his eyes, his cries quieting. Though for good measure he kept a tight grasp on L's coat.

John sighed before grabbing a chair from a neighboring desk and sat next to the boys. "If you insist…" He splayed a manila folder of varied colored paper on the nearby desk, searching for one in particular. Once he found the correct document he began. "Ahm sorry to say, but we aren't able to contact the parents. We found the boy's house without much issue. The neighbors noticed that the Keehl's house has been vacant for approximately 2 weeks."

"So…" L shook his head. "What happened?"

"We're not sure. The Keehl's were a private family. Mihael here had a mother and father, but from what we can tell they vanished without a trace."

"What about extended family…and friends…?"

John shook his head. "Ah checked. There are none."

"So you're saying…he was left all alone without explanation?"

"Seems so…"

Dark eyes turned toward the small boy who had taken L's coat as hostage. _I thought…I could get you back to your family. But I guess…you're just like the rest of us orphans now. _A sinking feeling came over L's stomach. It was heart-wrenching to know his parents had left him this way: crying and clinging to a stranger for company.

"There are more things that we could investigate, but-"

"I would like to take him to Wammy's House."

John blinked. "W-What?"

L repeated his words in as serious a tone as he had before. "Sir, I would like to take him back with me."

John faltered. "You…but…"

"I am fully aware that there is paper work to be completed. How long will that take to finish?"

"Ah, erm, I think….about a week or so?"

L grinned. "A week it is. You have until then. In one week I will return for the boy."

John blinked as he broke into a light sweat. _Why…why does this sound like a threat?_ "Uh, sure."

L looked down at the small hands that were bunched in the material of his coat. _I'm not about to let Mihael wait around to be processed by the system. It is obvious he needs someone, and I think it is he who has already decided who he wants. _"Mihael," he said softly. "Prosim, nehaj." (Please, stop.)

A soft hiccup escaped as small fingers released the material of the coat.

"Hvala," (Thank you) said L with a smile.

Mihael stared at the dark-haired teen in amazement. He has never met anyone like him before.

"Mihael," he began, standing out of his chair to kneel at the boy's feet. He took those small hands into his. "Pridem nazaj. Prosim počakajte." (I will be back. Please wait.)

Tears began to well in the corners of large blue eyes as those small hands grasped onto L's. "Ne odhajaj! Ne zapusti me!" (Don't go! Don't leave me!)

L smiled again. He could only guess that Mihael told him to stay. He managed to tear one hand away from the vice grip of the blonde and wiped a few tears away from the reddish cheek. "Bom nazaj. Prosim počakajte." (I will be back. Please wait.)

A soft sound somewhere between a hiccup and a cough came from the blonde's lips. He swallowed with a nod.

After getting to his feet, the teen pet the blonde's head. He exchanged a few words with John before heading for the exit. Looking back, he caught Mihael's gaze and gave a large smile in return. "Se vidima kmalu." (See you soon.)

o O o O o O o

L couldn't wipe the image of Mihael from his mind. The small boy dressed in dirty, tattered clothes; hungry, disoriented and heartbroken he reached out for someone, anyone to give him company.

_I promise…I will make sure you are taken care of here. _Rolling onto his backside, L felt a warm lump at the base of his spine. It was Nate. "When did you decide to crawl into my bed?" he asked, curling around the 4 year old.

"It was really hard to climb up here," said Nate, grabbing onto L's shirt as he was held close. He ran his fingers over the silken locks on Nate's head.

Scattered papers to L's right crinkled as one of his feet rested against them. They were documents from Mihael's case file. Before leaving, he met with John who slipped him a copy of the file on the young blonde. _He was just left alone all of a sudden… I would understand better if his parents were killed or he had been kidnapped or something…any other situation works better in my mind. But this doesn't make any sense to me._

L could not wrap his brain around such a concept. How was it that two parents could potentially forget about their child? _Then again…_he thought, rubbing Nate's back. _How could anyone want to give you up either?_

Nate sighed contentedly. It was a great comfort to L. _I will just have to bring him to Wammy's. I am sure he will be best here. _

_Plus…I want to know what he was saying. He said 'Duh' a lot. I wonder what it means… I'm sure it is nowhere near the English translation… _L knew there were many things to prepare before Mihael's arrival. For now, he just wanted to curl up next to Nate and sleep.

o O o O o O o

The week to follow brought varied changes in weather. December that year began with light snow flurries that left a light dusting of snow on the ground.

Roger was in the main lobby of Wammy's seated with a child service's worker and Mihael Keehl. Once business was finished the worker left Mihael in Roger's care and exited the orphanage.

Roger sighed, looking down at the blonde child who sat on the floor, making shapes in the nap of an area rug with his fingers. "So, you don't speak any English…" asked Roger.

Mihael looked up at the middle-aged man. He could tell by the tone of voice that he had been addressed, but had no idea what was said.

Roger frowned. "Where is L when you need him? He said he was going to be here..." Scratching at his scalp, the old caregiver took Mihael by the hand and showed him around the building. By the end of the half-hour long tour the pair was back in the main lobby. Roger left Mihael on one of the couches as he went in search of L.

Mihael shook his feet back and forth against the couch. He looked around the lobby, wondering where 'Ghost' was. Remembering the promise L had made to him, he repressed the sad feeling welling inside, hoping against all odds that the teenager's words were true.

A group of three boys scampered into the lobby. Noticing Mihael alone on the couch, the children converged around him. "Hey, are you new?" asked one.

"Yeah, I think so," said another.

"What's your name?" asked the third.

Mihael pulled his legs in close to his form, hands grasping at his shins. "Ne razumem…" (I don't understand…)

Confused expressions were given in return for Mihael's words. "What's that he said?"

"I don't get it…he's weird."

"Yeah he is."

The children laughed in unison.

_Go away…_thought Mihael, shutting his eyes tightly. _Go away, leave me alone. _

"You know that's against the rules," a fourth voice uttered. This one was soft and quiet, unlike the others crowded around Mihael.

Mihael opened his eyes, looking towards the voice. His listened, watching as a short white haired boy spoke with the three children bothering him.

"It's Nate," said one.

"Yeah Mr. Know-It-All," added another with a grimace.

"Hey, you can't tell us what to do!" said the leader of the group. He was a taller boy about 10 years of age. He leered at Nate after taking a position in front of the other two boys.

Nate simply smiled. It was a creepy sort of smile; it was most unbecoming on such a young face. The albino child raised a hand, curling a tendril of platinum hair around one index finger. "Ratus," he started, grin increasing in size. "You know that Wammy wouldn't like what you're doing. L wouldn't either."

Gritting his teeth, Ratus barked back a reply. "W-Well no one asked you!"

Nate turned his attention to Mihael. He observed the blonde with large, curious eyes, much like how L did upon their first encounter.

Mihael blinked, releasing the firm grip he had on his legs. He was grateful to say the least.

"Sorry I took so long. I was busy with something important." L entered the lobby with Roger close behind.

Before any assumptions could be made, Ratus and his two friends fled the lobby.

"Hey, there's no running in the halls!" Roger went after the three boys leaving L to Mihael and Nate.

The young dark-haired detective scratched at the hair at the base of his neck. His gaze first fell upon Mihael and then to Nate. "You came here to meet Mihael?" Pressing a thumb to his lip, L allowed a small smile to grace his features.

Nate nodded closing the gap between himself and L's leg. He latched onto the faded denim while his eyes were still locked upon the blonde.

Mihael blinked as he looked at L and Nate. He could tell they were close, but wasn't sure about the details of their relationship.

"Mihael," said L. "Dobrodšel." (Welcome.)

Blue eyes went wide. It was not odd that L had spoke in Slovenian to Mihael before, but his tone and accent had changed. It seemed more like it was his native tongue. "Govoriš Slovensko?" (You speak Slovenian?)

"Da. Po najinem prvem srečanju sem videl, da bi bilo najboljše, da se naučim." (Yes. After my first meeting with you, I thought it would be best to learn.)

Mihael could hardly believe his ears. Only seven days had pasted since he had met L. Just how could he have mastered so much of a new language in such a short amount of time? It was all too much for the young blonde to believe.

"To je Nate." (This is Nate.) L said, motioning towards the albino. "Sem ga naučil malo Slovensko." (I taught him a little bit of Slovenian.) Smiling, L looked down at his leg. "Nate, please talk to him, too." One hand went to pet the white haired child, encouraging him to interact.

Nate peered up at the detective with a short nod. Releasing the denim, he came to the edge of Mihael's position on the couch. "Živjo." (Hello.)

"Živjo," (Hello,) said Mihael, visibly shaken. After leaving home it was virtually impossible to find anyone to understand him. No matter how loud he spoke, no matter what he uttered he was shooed away without a second thought. Though now, everything seemed different. There were people to understand him; people to help him through all of the new experiences awaiting him.

"Upam, da bosta oba prijazna drug z drugim." (I hope you will both be friendly with one another.) said L.

Mihael nodded without a word. Closing his eyes tightly, he fought a lump in his throat threatening to make his eyes water. An image of his mother and father flashed before his minds-eye and he wished to be home again. Being in new places was tiring. All he wanted to do was go back home to familiarity.

A light touch fell upon golden blonde hair, dispelling a fraction of the sadness churning within the boy's small form. He looked up at L who was now seated next to him. "Mihael, pri Wammy's boš dobil veliko novih izkušenj. Upam, da se boš tu sčasoma počutil kot doma. (Mihael, there are many new things you are going to experience at Wammy's. I hope in time you will think of this place as your home.)

Mihael didn't know what to say. He felt scared and uneasy. The world around him felt strange and unfamiliar and he feared this feeling would last forever. Yet here was someone willing to help him through the confusion, someone willing to try. Without another thought, Mihael decided that he would try to, answering L's words with a simple nod of the head.

L smiled. Despite knowing Mihael's native tongue, he wanted to physically reassure the youth as much as possible. "Z Nate om ti bova razkazala okolico. Sicer ti jo je že roger, ampak sem prepričan, da te je samo zmedel." (Nate and I will show you around. Roger has already, but I'm positive you were more confused by his tour.)

Deep eyes of blue focused upon L and then turned to the white haired boy, Nate, at his feet. Pangs of fear began to rattle his heart, but he wasn't going to allow such things to get the better of him. Clenching one fist, he adopted a determined expression, strengthening his resolve. "Prav!" (Ok!)

L blinked, pressing a thumb to his lip in contemplation. _It seems he has already begun to cope with this ordeal well. I am glad to know he will not give up or give into weaker feelings. _Content with the situation, the raven haired teen stood from the couch, shoulders slumping into his usual bad posture.

"Very well, Nate, let's go. Mihael, pojdimo." (Mihael, let's go.)

The pair of children stood next to each other at L's feet, awaiting instructions.

"Ah, Mihael. Preden pozabim, nekaj bi ti rad povedal." (Ah, Mihael. Before I forget, there is something I wanted to say.)

The blonde blinked. He looked to Nate who began to curl a lock of his hair around an index finger. Looking back towards L, he replied. "Kaj pa?" (What is it?)

"Rad bi, da veš, da je vzdevek, ki si mi ga dal, napačen." (I wanted to let you know that the nickname given to me incorrect.)

Blue eyes squinted in confusion. He could not remember what the older boy was talking about. "Kaj?" (What?)

"Nisem duh." (I am not a ghost.)

Mihael blinked. He quickly remembered having called L a ghost because of his white skin and large blackish eyes. Fearing he had offended the one and only friend he had, Mihael lowered his head. "Žal mi je…" (Sorry…)

Smiling gently L placed his hand on the crown of Mihael's head. He had expressed distaste for the name in hopes of lightening the mood and to perhaps make the boy laugh. _I suppose it is still too soon to joke around…_ "Je že v redu. Raje bi imel kakšen drug vzdevek, prosim." (It is ok. I would prefer a different nickname, please.)

Blue eyes opened after being shut tightly. Mihael could hardly remember closing them in the first place. The touch to his head was calming, allowing the tension in his small body to be released. He looked up at L with worry, his fearful gaze returned with a smile.

" Ne skrbi, nisem jezen. Poskusi se sprostiti, to je tvoj dom!" (Do not worry. I'm not angry. Try to feel comfortable. This is your home.)

Mihael was going to believe in the kind words spoken to him. He had to hold onto the small fragment of hope left within his frightened heart, anything to keep him going. With a heavy sigh, he nodded. "Prav." (Ok.)

o O o O o O o

The last few days had proven difficult for Mihael. It was only the beginning of his transition period and already the young boy was struggling.

He woke in the morning and ate breakfast with all the other children, usually sitting next to Nate who seemed to pay him no mind. Throughout most of the day Mihael made sure he was around others, but usually kept to himself by sitting alone observing.

L watched from afar between work and rest. On his breaks he would sit in the play room watching the young blonde sit alone. Today was no exception. With a light sigh L exited the play room as he made his way down the hall.

_I'm worried…_he thought, turning left down another corridor. _It's only been 5 days counting today, but still I cannot help but worry about Mihael._

_He doesn't seem to want to be with others. But, I have also observed that he does not like to be alone either. He could stay in his room if he wanted to be alone, but he makes a point to always be near others, even if they do not bother to talk or play with him._

L smiled when he reached his destination. The smooth scent of chocolate hung in the air. Pressing a thumb to his bottom lip he smiled deeply. "I think it's done."

_At the very least…_he thought, as he looked for a pair of oven mitts. _At the very least now…I can do this for him. _Opening the oven door, he carefully pulled out two cake pans and placed them on a cooling rack upon the counter. _After all, it is his special day._

o O o O o O o

"Mihael."

There was no reply.

"Mihael," said L, placing a hand upon the child's shoulder. "Prosim, zbudi se." (Please wake up.)

Mihael blinked once, rubbing his eyes vigorously with balled hands. Releasing a small gasp, he looked up to find L standing over him. "Kaj je, Veliki Brat?" (What is it, Big Brother?)

L smiled at the nickname. He didn't mind being called ghost, but he preferred this new name more. Even Nate didn't call him Big brother. "Zaspala si." (You fell asleep.) He extended a hand to Mihael who took it and stood.

Rubbing his eye with one hand, the blonde yawned.

"Si še vedno utrujen?" (Still tired?)

Mihael nodded.

"Si lačen?" (Are you hungry?)

Mihael nodded again. "Sem zamudil kosilo?" (Did I miss lunch?)

"Mislim, da ja." (Yes, I think so.)

The two were still hand in hand as L lead the boy out of the playroom down the hall.

Mihael took in a small breath, waking himself further. He looked down one end of the hall and then the other, noticing that he and L were the only ones around. "Kje so vsi?" (Where is everybody?)

"No, kosilo se je končalo nedolgo nazaj, tvoji kolegi so si najverjetneje privoščili popoldanski dremež." (Well lunch ended a little while ago. Your peers are most likely having an afternoon nap.) A small smiled graced the teen's face. "Tudi ti si si privoščil počitek. Je zalegel?" (You got your nap as well. Was it good?)

He nodded. "Hm ...Gremo v kuhinjo?" (Um…are we going to the kitchen?)

" Saj si rekel, da si lačen, kajne? (You did say you were hungry, did you not?)

"Da…" (Yes…)

Soon the two arrived in the kitchen. L released his grip on the young boy's hand and headed for the counter. Pressing a thumb to his lower lip, he chewed at his nail with a pleased expression. "Yes, it looks perfect," he said aloud.

"Kaj…?" (What?)

L went back to Mihael and grabbed him under the armpits, placing him on the counter next to what he had baked.

The blonde stared wide-eyed at the confection; it was a two-layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.

"Vse najboljše za tvoj 6th rojstni dan, Mihael ..." (Happy 6th Birthday Mihael…) he read, his tone almost confused.

Dark eyes blinked as L chewed his thumbnail again, however he was puzzled. "Saj je danes, 13th Decembra tvoj rojstni dan, imam prav?" (It is your birthday, is it not? The 13th of December, correct?)

The boy nodded.

L cocked his head from one side then to the other. He was thrown for a loop. "Potem pa prosim povej mi, kaj je narobe. Ne razumem." (Then please tell me what is wrong. I do not understand.) Pausing, the teenager proposed a potential answer. "Ne maraš čokolade?" (Do you dislike chocolate?)

Mihael stared at the concoction on the plate beside him, unable to look away from the lettering upon it. Each word had been carefully written in some brownish goo that was unfamiliar to him. L must have made this himself, he thought idly. His Big Brother, who, until recently, was a complete stranger to him.

Deep inside his heart, he thought that this wasn't right. It should have been his parents, his Mama and Oče (Father) who were presenting him with such a confection. He didn't like this place where he didn't know anyone; it was a place were all he knew was this person with wild black hair and a white face. Mihael was starting to grow attached to his Big Brother, but he feared that attachment. Would L eventually get bored and cast him aside just like his parents? Who was to say it wouldn't happen in time?

Mihael's form shivered as he turned to L. Tears began to stream down his flushed round cheeks. He began to speak only to choke in the process. Swallowing the lump his throat he attempted a reply. "Jaz ... Ne vem, kaj je čokolada ..." (I…I don't know what chocolate is…)

L blinked, staring wide-eyed at the youth. _He doesn't know what chocolate is? _It was easy to tell that Mihael wasn't crying because he didn't know what chocolate was. L contemplated a quick hypothesis and reasoned that Mihael had experienced many painful things in his short life. An event such as a birthday marked time when he was away from familiar surroundings and people. That was sure to take its toll on the boy.

The dark-haired detective was not the best authority on emotions, but he has learned enough to know that Mihael needed comfort. A brilliant thought came to mind as the teen searched one of his jean pockets. _I might as well kill two birds with one stone,_ he thought, silently hoping his actions would bear fruit.

L presented a silver wrapper to Mihael. "Vzemi tole." (Here, take this.)

The blonde ceased crying a moment, taking the foil into his hands. He bore an awkward expression, hardly expecting the foil to hold a weight to it. Turning over the item in his small hands, Mihael saw that it was a sweet smelling brown bar. He noted that is smelled a lot like the circular brown object with lettering on the plate at his side.

Blue eyes squinted, attempting to make out what the label said, but failed. He couldn't read it. "Kaj je to?" (What is it?)

L smiled, chewing on his thumbnail again. "Mihael, to je čokolaca. V tem primeru gre za čokoladno tablico." (This is chocolate, Mihael. In this case, it's a chocolate bar.)

Mihael blinked a few times.

"Sladka je in okusna. Čokolada je ena mojih najljubših sladkarij." (It is sweet and delicious. It is one of my favorite things to eat.)

Mihael pulled the foil wrapper back, smelling the bar. _It smells good…_he thought, stomach growling in response to the heavenly scent.

L grinned at the growl. "Opazil sem, da kadar so ljudje žalostni, v glavnem, kadar so žalostne ženske porabijo obilne količine čokolade. V teoriji to poveča stopnjo serotonina in jih v kratkem naredi srečnejše, ampak še vedno iščem informacije, ki bi dokazale to trditev ..." (I have observed that when people are sad...mostly when females are sad, they will consume copious amounts of chocolate. Hypothetical, it will increase one's serotonin levels, in short making them happier, but I have yet to find any proven information to back up this claim…)

Mihael blinked, rubbing at his eyes with his forearm, hoping to clean away the tear stains left on his cheeks. He had been crying, but couldn't remember why. "Oh..." he said looking away. "Toda ... Saj nisem žalosten ..." (But…I'm not sad...) he grumbled softly, staring at the floor.

L smiled gently, bending forward to pat the young boy on the head. _You are already showing signs of resilience. I won't stop you if that is something that keeps you going._

Mihael continued to wipe at his face until it was dry.

"Sem si mislil, da boš to rekel. Dobro, potem ..." (I thought you would say that. Very well...) he added, turning Mihael to face him. "Potem pa ga le shrani za primer, če pride tak čas." (Then you will just have to keep it for when such a time arises.)

Young Mihael pouted, looking the teenager in the eyes. "Da…" (Yes….)

"Vse Najboljše, Mihael…" (Happy Birthday, Mihael.) L smiled, rubbing the boy's head.

A sniffled escaped his nose. "Hvala…" (Thank you…)

o O o O o O o

A few weeks had passed since Mihael's 6th Birthday and already he was showing signs of improvement. L had taken the boy under his wing much like he did with Nate, tutoring the boys separately.

Mihael and L sat within the teen's bedroom; Mihael was on the edge of the bed as L sorted over papers at his desk.

"Let me see here…" said L aloud, searching for one paper in particular.

Mihael swayed his feet from side to side, waiting as patiently as a 6 year old could.

"Ah there it is." L turned in the swivel chair towards the blonde, holding up a Canterbury chocolate bar label. "Mihael, what is this?"

_What is this…_he thought, able to understand the English sentence perfectly. Blue eyes squinted in concentration. He observed one word upon the label that read, 'CHOCOLATE'. First he started with the 'C'. "T-Ts…"

"Ah, ne, ne. Ne izgovarjaj, kod bi bilo pozabi, da se angleščina izgovarja zelo drugače." (Ah, no, no. Don't pronounce it like it is Slovenian. Remember, English is pronounced much differently.) L pointed to the 'CH', making a 'chuh' noise with his mouth. "Zapomni si, to je glas "chuh, podobno kot Slovenski "č"." (Remember? This is a 'chuh' noise, much like the Slovenian 'č'.)

Mihael blinked, nodding. "Da." (Yes.)

"Mihael," L repeated. "What is this?"

"Cho…choco…." _L…a…t…e? _"Choco…lateh?"

L smiled. "Blizu." (Close.) "Chaw-ko-let." He enunciated each syllable slowly so that Mihael could understand.

"Chaw…ko…let," he mimicked.

"Ah, da, da. Zelo dobro." (Ah, yes, yes. Very good.) Turning in his chair, the dark-haired teen rifled through a few drawers on his desk.

The familiar sound of foil rattled, falling on Mihael's ears. His eyes widened as he waited with bated breath.

"I think that is all for today. Here," said L, handing the youth a chocolate bar. "Zelo dobro. Very good." (Very good.)

Mihael took the treat. He looked to L, waiting for him to slowly enunciate the English phrase.

"Veh-ree, gooh-d," said L

"Veh….ree….gooh-d?" Mihael repeated.

L smiled. "Da." (Yes.) He stood, patting Mihael on the head. "Danes si 'ver good' opravil. To je tvoja nagrada za dobro opravljeno delo." (You did 'very good' today. That is your treat for a job well done.)

Mihael smiled. "Hvala, Veliki Brat!" (Thank you, Big Brother!) It didn't take long for the youth to unwrap the chocolate bar and take a few bites. The smooth, rich taste of cocoa and milk filled his mouth, thoroughly exciting his taste buds. In only a few short moments half the bar had been devoured. Before eating more, he rewrapped the snack and placed it on the bed. "Veliki Brat?" (Big Brother?) he asked.

L had already returned to case files. Pausing, he turned to Mihael. "Da?" (Yes?)

"Zanimalo je ... ne Nate sovražijo?" (I wanted to know…does Nate hate me?)

Dark grey eyes blinked a few times, processing the statement. He stood from his chair and sat next to the 6 year old on the bed. "Ne, Nate te ne sovraži. Zakaj tako misliš?" (No, Nate does not hate you. What gave you such a thought?) He patted the smooth hair on the blonde's head, hoping to reassure the child.

"Odkar sem prišel, sva skupaj v sobi, ampak nikoli ne govori z mano ... Gotovo me sovraži." (Since I came here we room together. But he never talks to me…He must hate me.)

L chuckled. _I suppose my theory was incorrect. Nate is very attached to me. _He let out a soft sigh. _But that will not be good for him in the future. I will not always be around for Nate to hold on to. I would like if he would make friends with his peers. And Mihael seems to want to be familiar with him. _"Nate te ne sovraži, v to sem prepričan. Preprosto se ne znajde najbolje, pri socialnih interakcijah." (Nate does not hate you, rest assured. He is simply not the best when it comes to social interactions.)

"Socialne…interakcije?" (Social…interactions?)

L faltered momentarily. "Oprosti. Dovoli, da razložim. Ni najboljši pri spoznavanju prijateljev. Nekaj ga zavira pri pogovoru z drugimi njegove starosti." (Sorry. Let me explain. He is not good at making friends. Something prevents him from talking to others his own age.) _This is true…Nate is not usually good with social interactions. That, in part, may be my fault. I taught him to think analytically, but I think he began to apply that to the interactions between people as well. _"Hočeš, da bi bila z Nateom prijatelja?" (Do you want to be friends with Nate?)

"Da." (Yes.)

"Potem imam idejo," (Then I have an idea.) he said, as a thought came to mind. "Mihael, hočem, da to, kar ne morem." (Mihael, I want you to do what I cannot.)

"Kaj?" (What?)

"Prosim, postani Nateov prijatelj. Nauči ga, kako naj bo prijatelj. To je nekaj, česar ga jaz ne morem." (Please become friends with Nate. Teach him how to be a friend. This is something I cannot do.)

Mihael shook his head back and forth vigorously. "Ne, Ne! Ničesar ni, česar ti ne bi mogel storiti. Ti si L in vse je odvisno od tebe. Tu vedno vsi govorijo, kako super si ..." (No, no! There's nothing you can't do. You're L and everyone looks up to you. Everyone here always says how great you are…)

"Oh, to tako?" (Oh, is that so?) L chuckled. He was always amused with the things people would say about him. _I am not as great as they make me out to be…_

The boy nodded. "Da. Res je, ne morem narediti nečesa, česar ti ne moreš ..." (Yes. It is true. I can't do something if you can't do it…)

L placed a hand on one of Mihael's shoulder. The two locked eyes as L spoke. "Mihael, to je nekaj, česar ne morem. Samo ti lahko to storiš. Prosim ,naredi to zame." (Mihael, this is something I cannot do. Only you can do this. Please do this for me.) _I want you and Nate to mature, to grow up and become great people. Clinging to me will only stunt the two of you._

"Ampak ... Kako? Še nikoli nisem imel nobenega prijatelja ..." (But…but how? I have never had any friends before…)

"A jaz nisem tvoj prijatelj?" (Am I not a friend of yours?)

Mihael nodded. "Da, ti si že moj prijatelj, ampak ti si Veliki Brat!" (Yes, you are a friend. But you're my Big Brother!)

"Je brat ne prijatelj?" (Is a brother not a friend?)

"Hm?"

"Ali je lahko oboje hkrati, Mihael?" (Can the two be one in the same, Mihael?)

Unsurely, the blonde youth nodded. "Da…" (Yes…)

"Potem prosim, da narediš enako z Nateom. Bodi njegov prijatelj, tako kot si moj." (Then please do the same with Nate. Be his friend like you are my friend.) _I wonder…I do hope that the two can become friends. Before long, I will be gone from this institution, traveling the world with Wammy in order to become a great detective. I suppose…_ Dark eyes reflected the image of Mihael, young and fully of life. _I already feel so old and worn. My work will unwittingly be my death, I am sure of that. At the very least, I can do my part by helping these two boys along. _"Mihael, ali zahtevam preveč?" (Mihael, am I asking too much of you?)

"Ne…" (No…)

L smiled, patting Mihael on the back. "Ne skrbi. Prepričan sem, da bo poslušal, če boš govoril z njim." (Don't worry. I'm sure if you talk to him, he will listen.)

"Prav." (Ok.)

o O o O o O o

A few days later Mihael found himself in the play room, observing the other children as he usually did. His current focus was upon Nate who sat alone at another end of the room. He sat unusually, much like L did in a chair with his left leg bent, his left hand resting atop the kneecap. His other leg was horizontal with the floor, relaxed at his side. His right hand, which Mihael assumed was his dominant, put pieces into place onto a large rectangular puzzle board.

Deep blue eyes focused intently on Nate, watching as he quickly yet carefully completed the puzzle, dumped it back onto the floor then reconstructed it again.

_I don't understand…why is he even in here if he's not gonna play with someone else? _Mihael snorted. _I guess he's like me then. _

A bell chimed three times, signaling that it was time for lunch. In a matter of seconds, the playroom was empty, save for Mihael and Nate.

The blonde blinked, standing from his position on the floor. His attention was still upon Nate who was diligently putting puzzle pieces together. _I want to talk to him…but I don't think he'll understand me…_ Softly, Mihael spoke. "Z-zvonec se je oglasil ..." (T-The bell rang.)

The quiet sound of cardboard pieces fastened together was the only noise in the room.

Nate didn't seem to notice Mihael's words, much less his presence.

Discouraged, but not about to give up, Mihael squeezed one hand into a fist. He repeated himself, this time with greater volume. "Z-zvonec se je oglasil ..." (The bell rang.) He said again. Mihael wasn't expecting to be understood, but at the very least he hoped to gain Nate's attention.

Nate's dominant hand ceased action as the head of white hair moved, dark eyes focused upon the source of the voice.

Mihael blushed, eyes turned away. He wanted Nate's attention, but once received he felt out of place and mortified. "Oprosti…" (Sorry…)

Nate stood exhibiting terrible posture as he gathered the remaining puzzle pieces, placing them neatly in a pile upon the board, setting it out of the way for later. With that, he exited the room.

The blonde turned back towards Nate as he heard footsteps leave the room. Mouth agape, the boy followed Nate towards the cafeteria. "Počakajte, prosim." (Wait, please.) he said, following directly behind the albino. _Ah….stupid me, _he thought. _He's not going to understand me anyways…_

Pausing in his slow stride, Nate turned to the blonde. "Zakaj?" (Why?)

Eyes went wide as Mihael stood flabbergasted by the Slovenian. _He…he understood me?_

"Zakaj naj počakam?" (Why should I wait?) One small index finger came to the right side of Nate's hair, curling a platinum lock thoughtfully.

"Z-Zato, ker ..." (B-Because…)

The 4 year old stood waiting, continuing to curl his hair until Mihael made his reply.

"Z-Zato, ker ... rad bi se ti zahvakik." (B-Because…I wanted to say thank you.)

"Zahvalil?" (Thank you?) Nate asked in a monotone voice.

It seemed he always spoke so gently and devoid of emotion, Mihael noted. "Da. Hotela sem, da ... se ti zahvaliti." (Yes. I wanted to…to thank you.)

"Toda zakaj? Kaj sem takega naredil?" (But why? What did I do for you?)

"Se ne spominjaš? Tistih treh, ki so me zbadali. Mislim, da je bilo enemu od njih ime Ratus ..." (Don't you remember? Those three who were bothering me before. I think one of their names was Ratus…)

Dark grey eyes widened. "Oh…" he said, a little more emotion in his voice. "Zdaj naj bi rekel 'ni za kaj', kajne?" (I'm suppose to say, 'You're welcome' right?)

"Ah…da." (Ah yes.)

Nodding, Nate spoke his words of appreciation. "Ni za kaj." (You're welcome.) He blinked several times showing great confusion.

"Kaj je narobe?" (What's wrong?)

"Samo…" (It's just…) The finger twirling those white locks worked faster than it had previously. "Še nikoli se mi ni nihče zahvalil, razen L." (No one other than L has ever thanked me before…)

"Oh ... prav. Ampak jas to res mislim." (Oh…ok. But I do mean it.) Mihael looked at his feet, his toes curling and wiggling out of uncertainty. "Hvaležen sem ti za pomoč." (I'm grateful for your help.) Looking up, Nate's expression looked even more confused than before. "Žal mi je…" (Sorry…)

"Naj ti ne bo žal ... tako delamo prijatelji, je tako?" (Don't be sorry…that's what friends do, correct?)

Mihael gasped, looking to the white-haired boy. "Kaj?" (What?)

Dark eyes narrowed as Nate looked about the hallway the two occupied, his thoughts running in circles. "Ali ne delajo prijatelji teh stvari drug za drugega? Sem narobe dojel?" (Don't friends do those things for each other? Or did I get that wrong?)

Titling his head once, then to the other side, the blonde began to laugh.

Nate pursed his lips. _I guess I did get that wrong…_ "Zakaj se mi zdaj smejiš?" (Why are you laughing at me?)

"Oprosti ... Samo bolje se počutim." (Sorry…I just feel better.)

"Zakaj?" (Why?)

"Ker ... sem mislil, da me ne maraš." (Because…I thought you didn't like me.)

Large grey eyes blinked once. "Zakaj bi tako mislil?" (Why would you think that?)

"Ni pomembno. Zdaj sva prijatelja, kajne?" (It's not important. We're friends now, right?) Mihael smiled brightly at 4 year old.

Nate blinked several times, nodding. "Da." (Yes.)

"To je dovolj velik razlog, da se počutijo bolje." (That's reason enough to feel better.)

Nate looked to the blonde, who had a permanent smile upon his face. The corners of Nate's face moved upwards to form a smile, feeling that the expression befitted the situation.

"Želiš, da skupaj pojeva kosilo?" (Want to eat lunch together?)

The albino nodded. "Da." (Yes.)


End file.
